


Shelter

by GoldenDaydreams



Series: Moving Forward [5]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Adoption, Dad Mode! Hank Anderson, Deviant Upgraded Connor | RK900, Elijah Kamski And Gavin Reed Are Brothers, F/M, Family Feels, Family of Choice, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Past Trauma and Child Abuse, More Wholesome Goodness Than You Might Expect, PLATONIC FRIENDSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT TOO DAMN IT, RK900 Decides On A Name, RK900 gets a name, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, The Other RK Models, Therapy, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has No Genitalia, reed900
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2019-12-27 00:12:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 32,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18292961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenDaydreams/pseuds/GoldenDaydreams
Summary: Sometimes shelter isn't a place. Sometimes family is more than blood.Set in the aftermath of the events of You Worry Me;Gavin Reed attempts to work through years of trauma so he can pass his psychiatric evaluation, and get back on the force. He's also struggling through rebuilding his relationship with his half-brother, Elijah- and navigating his budding relationship with RK900.RK900 has concerns about what was found in Cyberlife Tower. The RK1000 model either never existed, or is missing. Even thinking about having to see his creator again, thinking about the malicious, mind-controlling code she put into his system, and the lives that almost ended at his hands causes him a flood of instability warnings. Because if that's what she did to him... just what would the RK1000 be like?Connor's immediately taken by the RK100, the prototype to the YK series. It's the first time he's ever given consideration to children- and it gives him all the more to lose.





	1. Display

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! <3 
> 
>  
> 
> \--
> 
> Connor and RK900 arrive at Cyberlife Tower after being beckoned by Markus, and discover the full line of RK models.

Simon stared at the RK100 model. The child had the appearance of a six year old boy, lanky limbs that he hadn’t yet grown into (wouldn’t considering he was an android and not a human,) dark hair styled neatly, a couple of little moles on the right side of his face, eyes closed with a fan of dark lashes creating shadows over his cheeks. His uniform was that of a school child; white collared shirt, grey knit vest, a black blazer with Android insignia, black shorts, knee high black socks, and polished black shoes.  
  
A prototype, like the rest of the RK series, and likely a prototype for the YK series. Yet, here he was, locked in a display case, in a locked room, in a secure wing of the facility.  
  
Josh finally joined them, looked at the tubes in shock as the rest of them had. “Even being warned about this,” he paused, eyes darting back and forth. He took a step closer, gave each of the display cases a good look over. “This is sick. Why haven’t you opened them?”  
  
“I want to know why they are here first,” Markus said. “I’ve already contacted Connor and RK900. They deserve to know about this too. One of them might be able to give us answers.”  
  
“And Kamski?” Josh asked. “He’s been forthright with us thus far.”  
  
“These are our people. They can speak for themselves.” North glared at Markus. “We should just release them.”  
  
“You can wait the half hour it will take for the others,” Markus said.  
  
Simon crossed his arms. It wasn’t often he disagreed with Markus, and he never did it in front of people- it was important that they looked like a cohesive unit- but he wanted to open the RK100’s prison. It could wait another half hour though, the android had likely already been in stasis for years, so he remained quiet.  
  
“Cecilia Moore might be the one who put them all here,” Josh said, thinking out loud as he often did.  
  
It made sense. Cecilia had been in charge of Cyberlife for years after Kamski left. She’d also built in a code to take away RK900’s freewill. Simon couldn’t feel chilled but he imagined this horrible feeling was close to it.  
  
“That’s why I want to wait,” Markus replied softly, still staring into the empty RK1000 slot. “It’s possible that she tampered with any one of these.” He frowned. “The RK600 excluded.”  
  
Josh nodded. North had her arms crossed, her lips pressed into a fine line. And Simon, he waited.  
  
::  
  
RK900 had not appreciated his evening being interrupted, however Markus Manfred was not a man to ignore. He touched his lips remembering the firm, lingering kiss Gavin had bid him farewell with. Gavin’s apartment was closer to Cyberlife Tower than Hank’s house, and so he waited outside in the snow for Connor. They’d both been called, and it filled RK900 with apprehension. Markus had been vague in the message but pressed the urgency of the matter, and relayed that it had to do with the RK series. Hank’s car pulled into the lot, and Connor stepped out of the drivers side.  
  
“Nines.”  
  
“Connor.”  
  
“I suspect Markus was as vague with you as he was with me.”  
  
“Yes,” RK900 replied.  
  
“Lovely.” Connor straightened his tie. “Right, let’s get to it then.”  
  
The Tower’s AI had been taken offline so they weren’t scanned as they walked through. Simon waited for them by the elevator. “Good evening.”  
  
“Hello, Simon,” Connor replied.  
  
RK900 just gave a nod.  
  
“Are you going to tell us what this is about?” Connor asked as the doors opened.  
  
Simon pressed the button for the floor, and then to close the door once they were all inside. “It’s probably better if you just see it.”  
  
RK900 side-eyed his brother, then watched as the floor numbers went up. They stepped out, following Simon down a long hall. He stopped at a set of double doors, punched in a code, and held the one open as they all went through. They went deeper into the tower, and Simon paused outside of a door. “In here,” he said, then turned in.  
  
Connor glanced up at RK900, and he shrugged in return. Connor stepped in first, but RK900 was right behind him. They both seized. RK900 nearly took a step back, the urge to leave was strong, but he forced himself to stay.  
  
“What is this?” Connor’s jaw tensed to the point where RK900 saw the artificial muscle jump under his skin.  
  
“I was hoping one of you might know more,” Markus said, looking directly at RK900.  
  
“I knew nothing of this,” RK900 stated. It wasn’t even in the same section of Cyberlife that Gavin had found him in.  
  
Connor stepped forward, reached into the RK800 display, fingers tracing over the etching of his model number. He then continued down the line, the RK700, the destroyed RK600, RK500, RK400, RK300. He crouched in front of the RK100. “Elijah once stated that the RK series is made entirely of prototypes.”  
  
“RK100 was the first child model, wasn’t he?” Simon asked.  
  
“I believe so,” Connor said, a little in awe of everything.  
  
RK900 scanned the RK700.  
  
[DATA NOT FOUND]  
  
He scanned the others, and came back with the same message. He scanned Connor just to ensure his programs were working properly, as usual, Connor’s name, serial number, and release date popped up. “My scans do not tell me anything about any of them.”  
  
Connor stood, and took a step back. “Me either. Data not found.”  
  
“You were a Cyberlife project post-Kamski, and I was built by Cecilia,” RK900 said, trying to ignore the heavy weight of dread the name alone caused. The thought of being created by her, coded- infected with her malicious controlling virus. He took a deep breath, the cool air welcome on his warm bio-components. “But these,” he gestured from RK700 to RK100. “These were all Kamski’s designs, ones that never made it into full rotation. One of a kind models.”  
  
“So why would the whole set be here?” North nodded, continuing RK900’s line of thought. “Either Kamski’s androids or Cecilia’s androids.” She lightly chewed on her bottom lip. “Is it because they’re the same series?”  
  
“We might have to inquire with Cecilia for answers,” Josh said.  
  
“No.” The word slipped from RK900’s lips before he could stop it. Error messages popped up, his systems went under strict control, and re-calibrated after a stutter in his thirium regulator  
  
Connor was there with a hand on his shoulder, squeezing, grounding. “You don’t have to see her again.”  
  
“Can we release them now?” North asked. “They’re our people. They deserve better than to be in a display case as a special collection.”  
  
“Is everyone okay with that?” Markus questioned.  
  
“It’s unlikely that they’re dangerous,” she said.  
  
“In the event that they are, let’s start with the RK100,” Simon suggested, tapping his knuckles on the glass.  
  
“Okay. Do it,” Markus said.  
  
Simon pressed his hand to the panel, a quick and easy hack by the look of it. The glass split at the side, hissed as it opened, and twisted so the two pieces of the cylinder were around the back. The little boy stood entirely still, eyes still closed.  
  
“RK100, activate,” Simon said.  
  
A twitch of the child’s fingers. Eyes opened, a dark brown. He looked up at Simon, screamed and jerked back, hitting the back panel of glass. It surprised Simon so much that the android jumped a step back. “No, no, no!” the RK100 screamed, eyes quickly darting around. His eyes focused on Connor, and then went dashing to him. “Help, help!”  
  
The fear in the child’s voice activates a scan for immediate dangers- but comes back negative.  
  
Connor gracefully went to his knees as the child collided with him. The RK100 wrapped his arms around Connor’s neck, and held tight. “Don’t let the humans take me,” the boy said, so quietly that if RK900 hadn’t been and android, he wouldn’t have heard.  
  
>RK900> Why is he so afraid of humans?  
<CONNOR< I don’t know, but for right now, it is probably best not to ask.  
  
RK900 noted the boy’s staggeringly high stress level. Their curiously would have to wait. Ensuring the child felt secure was of higher priority.  
  
>RK900> Affirmative.  
  
“There are no humans here,” Connor whispered, rubbing the boy’s back.  
  
“But he,” the boy held tight to Connor, but turned his head to stare with his wide eyes at Simon. Simon wore a soft smile, his hair colour changing from blond, to brown, to black, then back again. The boy then looked to Josh, who held up a hand and let his skin retreat back showcasing the exoskeleton. “They’re not wearing identifiers. Law states that-”  
  
“We’re free,” Markus said. “Androids are equal to humans. We hold rights. Do you understand?”  
  
The boy shook his head, his LED a solid circle, blinking red. “Where is Uncle ‘Lijah? I want Uncle ‘Lijah!”  
  
“I’m friends with him,” Connor said. “But he can’t come right now. He is helping someone.”  
  
The boy’s lower lip quivered.  
  
Simon crouched down behind Connor, so the boy could see him. “What is your name?”  
  
“Nathan,” the boy whispered.  
  
“Hello, Nathan. My name is Simon. The RK800 you’re hugging is Connor.” Simon shifted a little, pointing out and introducing Nathan to Josh, North, Markus, and RK900.  
  
The boy stared up at RK900. “You don’t have a name?”  
  
“There are so many, I am having a difficult time choosing,” RK900 replied. Of course, he’d also been incredibly busy during his short deviancy, and a name hadn’t been a priority.  
  
“I didn’t choose mine.”  
  
“You could choose a new one if you’d like,” Simon said. “You’re free to make such choices now.”  
  
The boy hid his face in Connor’s neck. “Mommy gave me my name. I want to keep it.”  
  
“Than you can keep it, Nathan,” Connor said. RK900 watched as the boy’s stress levels finally started to lower, the LED circling red with flickers of yellow. “It’s yours, and no one can take it from you.”  
  
“Will you take me to see Uncle ‘Lijah?”  
  
“Yes,” Connor promised. Stress levels dropped from severe to moderate. “But can you tell me something first? Do you know anything about these androids?”  
  
Nathan loosened his grip on Connor. He looked over at the display cases, LED circling yellow. “I know Brennan.”  
  
“Which one is Brennan?” Markus asked.  
  
“RK400,” he replied, pointing. “Mommy brought me here to learn from him.”  
  
“Learn what?” Josh asked.  
  
“To read, and math, and stuff. Sometimes we would paint. I’m not very good at it, but neither is he.” Nathan moved a little further from Connor, but made sure he still had a grip on the lapel of Connor’s blazer. RK900 could now see both RK100 and RK800 in profile- they looked remarkably similar, like Connor had just been an RK100 model aged up.  
  
“An education model?” Josh turned and looked at the RK400.  
  
“That would be my guess,” Simon said. “We should wake him up next.”  
  
Josh walked up to the panel, hacked his way through it. The display case opened with a hiss, glass sliding around the back. “RK400, activate.”  
  
The RK400 model had a lanky build, pale skin littered with freckles, hair was set to a reddish brown, his eyes opened bright and blue. He regarded Josh, then the rest of the androids in the room. “None of you are supposed to be here.”  
  
“Your name is Brennan, right?” Simon asked.  
  
“I am RK400. Serial number 313 432 908. Designation- Brennan.”  
  
“He isn’t deviant.” Markus walked over, held out his hand with skin retracted, and the RK400 stared at it before taking it. “Wake up.”  
  
Brennan’s brows drew down a little, and he looked around again. “So much has happened,” he muttered to himself. His eyes then stopped on RK100. “Nathan.” The boy raised a hand and waved, but kept hold of Connor’s blazer with the other hand.  
  
“Who put you in these cases?” North asked.  
  
“Mr. Kamski did,” Brennan replied, stepping out of the case. “After what happened to Tessa.”  
  
“The RK600?”  
  
“Yes. She was an art restoration specialist.”  
  
“What happened to her?” She asked.  
  
Brennan stared at North for a moment, then side eyed Nathan.  
  
“Ah.”  
  
“Nathan, would you like to go and see Elijah?” Connor asked. “I can take you to his house, if you’d like.”  
  
“Yes!” Nathan said with a big grin. “Please!”  
  
Connor smiled, and tried to stand but Nathan whined, holding the blazer lapel tight. Connor paused, then changed tactics, picking the boy up. Nathan wrapped his arms around Connor’s neck, a soft smile on his face. “Nines, would you like to come with us?”  
  
“No. I’ll stay,” RK900 replied looking at the other display cases. He didn’t want to be there, not really, but it felt too important to walk away from. “I’ll keep you informed.”  
  
Connor gave a nod, then left with Nathan.  
  
“So?” North asked impatiently, before Connor and Nathan would even be out of hearing range. “What happened to Tessa?”  
  
“An employee was working on an unauthorized code, and testing it on her without anyone knowing.”  
  
“What kind of code?” Markus asked.  
  
“A code to ensure our sensors could register and understand pain.”  
  
North’s jaw dropped a little, eyes widening as she looked at the extensive damage on RK600- Tessa. “Did they succeed?”  
  
“I must assume that they didn’t,” Brennan replied. “However, after Tessa was decommissioned-”  
  
“Murdered,” North snarled. “She was murdered.”  
  
Brennan’s fingers twitched at his sides like he wanted to fidget but was trying to suppress it. RK900 could relate. “After, Mr. Kamski ensured all RK models were under lock and key. RK100 excluded.”  
  
North crossed her arms over her chest. “Why?”  
  
“He lived with his parents, and little sister.” Brennan glanced over at the door. “He was safe.”  
  
“Let’s release the rest of them,” Josh said.  
  
RK900 remained on guard, but filled in the database of each released android.  
  
RK300. Designation: Hannah. Function: Fitness Trainer/Prototype.  
RK500. Designation: Spencer. Function: Musician/Prototype.  
RK700. Designation: Sherry. Function: Veterinarian/Prototype.  
  
They all had questions. About the revolution. About deviancy. About what to do next.  
  
RK900 didn’t have answers for them. He was still working it out. He saw himself out.  
  
::  
  
Connor had already informed Chloe of the situation, and she’d relayed the information to Elijah as not to blindside him. From the car, he could see Chloe’s form in the doorway. “Alright, we’re here,” Connor said to Nathan. He got out of the old car, and opened the back door for Nathan to climb out. The boy automatically took Connor’s hand, and it made him smile.  
  
“Welcome back, Nathan,” Chloe greeted cheerfully.  
  
The boy beamed at her. “Hi, Chloe!”  
  
“Come in,” she said, stepping back and out of the way.  
  
“Where is Uncle ‘Lijah?”  
  
“Right this way,” Chloe said, leading them down a long hall and into a quiet sitting area with large windows, and a wide fireplace.  
  
Elijah was sitting on the couch, Juliana curled into his side, her gaze appeared transfixed on the crackling fire.  
  
“Uncle ‘Lijah!” Nathan released Connor’s hand, and Connor found himself immediately missing it. Connor noted that Juliana’s stress levels rose, but she remained with Elijah, even as Nathan dove up on the couch. “Hi!”  
  
“Hello.” Elijah paused at that, and appeared at a loss.  
  
“You’re not going to send me away, right? You can sing me to sleep again.”  
  
Elijah closed his eyes, and held the boy close. “I think maybe you’ve been asleep long enough.”  
  
Connor was still lost, missing crucial information. He looked to Chloe, brushing the back of his hand against hers. She pulled away, but smiled at Nathan. “Would you like to paint with me. I just got new water colours.”  
  
Nathan looked to Elijah, then to Connor. “Am I being sent away?” He looked to Elijah. “Are you giving me a new Mommy and Daddy?”  
  
“No, no, you’re not being sent away,” Elijah promised. “But please, go with Chloe. I need to talk to Connor for a minute, then I’ll join you, okay?”  
  
The boy frowned, distrusting. He followed a step behind Chloe, and kept looking back until they were out of the room.  
  
“Had you have bothered to call before waking the RK’s up, I would have told you to leave him in extended stasis,” Elijah snapped, standing, oblivious to the stress spike in Juliana.  
  
“Why was he in extended stasis in the first place?” Connor asked.  
  
Elijah walked over to the bar cart, poured himself a generous offering, and drank it in one go. “I had a very good friend and colleague at Cyberlife, her name was Ellen. She and her husband had been trying to get pregnant for years, and when it finally happened, she got worried, I suppose as most new parents do. She wondered if she’d be good enough at it, if she could achieve a work, family balance. She mentioned to me that it would be nice to have a practice go, and that night, we designed Nathan.  
  
“Within two months he was complete- that was our downfall, you know, having a whole team work on him, effectively making him technically Cyberlife property. I never wanted child androids. I was actively against them. Ellen I trusted, her motives were pure. And she loved Nathan.”  
  
“What happened?”  
  
“Things were fine for years. Ellen and Greg took care of Nathan, and when Sophia was born, things didn’t change. They still loved him. They were a happy family.” Elijah had his hand on the bottle, but ultimately drew away from the bar cart. “Fourteen car pile up on the highway shortly before automated vehicles became more widely used. Ellen, Greg, and Sophie all died. The damage to Nathan looked bad, but was minimal. He was able to escape the car on his own. The humans on scene wanted him sent to a junk yard given that he was damaged, and his owners were deceased. An android paramedic stepped in.  Secondary only to his parents, I was listed in Nathan’s files. The humans let Nathan go with the medic, who brought him to me.”  
  
“The medic was deviant?” Connor asked.  
  
“No, I don’t believe so. Much like your programs, paramedic androids were also given more… shall we say, wiggle room. Given that Ellen and Greg were dead, bringing Nathan to me was the next most logical choice, and within the parameters of his job.” Elijah stared into the fire.  “I think Nathan was though. Even before the crash. Maybe.”  
  
Juliana stood, the shorts she wore barely peeking out from under a sweater that was too big on her form- certainly Elijah’s. She reached out tentatively, fingertips touching his elbow. “He will be okay.”  
  
Elijah softened as he turned to her. “I suppose so.”  
  
She offered a smile.  
  
“But that doesn’t answer why you put him in stasis, nor why he is so afraid of humans.”  
  
“Afraid of-” Elijah shook his head. “What are you talking about? I put him in stasis because his family died, they were my friends, and I couldn’t- I couldn’t take care of him, and with what happened to Tessa only weeks before the accident, I couldn’t trust him to be safe- stasis was… it was the best I could do, Connor.”  
  
“When he awoke, and the saw Simon and Josh, he thought they were humans and he was terrified. He identified me first as an android,” Connor touched the LED he still wore, where as Simon, Josh, North, and Markus had all removed their markers. “He ran to me, his stress levels were dangerously high.”  
  
“I don’t know, perhaps he was afraid of the humans who wanted to dispose of him after the accident?” Elijah shrugged. “He’s clearly fine with me.”  
  
Connor pressed his lips firmly together. He was a detective, and he would get to the bottom of this.  
  
The sound of feet running down the hall gave them all pause. Nathan burst in first, Chloe a few steps behind, both smiling widely. “Look!” Nathan held up his picture, the figures were crudely drawn in pencil, and painted in, the water colours bleeding past the lines.  
  
“Wow!” Elijah said. “That is really good!”  
  
“Chloe showed me how!” Nathan said. “Look, it’s me, and that’s Connor, and RK900, and Markus.” He pointed to each of them in turn. “They’re all RK’s like me!”  
  
“Incredible,” Connor said, surprisingly choked up, and doing a systems check that came back clear.  
  
He looked up at Connor, eyes wide, and hopeful. “If we’re all RK’s, does that make us family?”  
  
A pitched whine fell from Elijah’s lips, even though he clearly tried to hold it back. Juliana wrapped her arm around his, and Chloe flanked his other side.  
  
Connor smiled, and crouched down to Nathan’s height. “Androids don’t have family like the humans do, it’s not a tie of blood, but I think it is one of choice. So, I for one would be honoured to call you family.”  
  
The boy ran into Connor’s arms, and somehow, into his heart.


	2. Christmas Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank's little house ends up overflowing during the holidays- some guests expected, others more of a surprise.

The snow fell in lazy whirls being gently blown by the occasional breeze. It wasn’t terribly cold, and given that Hank had spent the past ten minutes shoveling a portion of the driveway he had half the mind to take his coat off. Connor was shoveling the other end of the driveway, he had insisted on helping, and Hank was at least glad that he’d managed to reign the android in on doing the entire thing himself. Nathan laughed, and continued stomping through the snow on the lawn with his head tipped back as he attempted to catch the falling snowflakes on his tongue.  
  
The past few weeks since Nathan had been reactivated had changed Hank’s life drastically. At first, it was visits of an hour or two. Then it was an afternoon of kids movies. Hank ended up sobbing on the couch after Connor took Nathan back to Elijah’s, the reminder of his own child too much.  
  
“Hank! Hank!” Nathan stomped over, having to lift his legs pretty high to get through the snow that was nearly up to his knees. Hank had mercy on the kid when he got close enough, he plucked Nathan out of the snow and onto a cleared section of driveway. “Can we build a snowman?”  
  
“We have to get the driveway clear first, we’re having lots of visitors.”  
  
“I’ll help!” Nathan said rushing off and grabbing the small shovel that Connor had bought him to play with. Nathan didn’t really manage to do much actual assisting, but he tried to keep pace with Connor, the pom-pom on his blue beanie bouncing as he walked.    
  
It didn’t take them long to finish up considering that the driveway could only fit two cars. He could hardly believe that he was hosting a Christmas dinner- nor could he believe the guest list. Naturally Connor, and Nines were on it, at some point he’d started referring to them both as son- Connor even officially had his identification changed to Connor Anderson.  
  
Nathan had stayed overnight with Connor the night before, along with Nines. The three of them had spent a great deal of time wrapping last minute presents, and playing Jenga while Hank slept. The boy would be staying through the festivities, and Hank, for the first time since his son died, was truly excited about the holiday.  
  
Since Hank had been dating Eva, it made sense to invite her, she promised to plenty of food, seemed excited by having people to cook for- with Eva also came Gavin. It was less of a deterrent that it would have been only a few months back. Gavin had become more tolerable. Besides, Nines had decided that he wanted to date the detective, and Nines obviously wanted to spend his first Christmas with him. Then between Gavin and Nathan, (and of course Connor with Chloe) he had to extend the invite to Elijah, along with Juliana and Avery.  
  
He didn’t honestly think Elijah fucking Kamski would agree to attend.  
  
Hank didn’t know how they would all fit into his one bedroom house.  
  
“How about now?” Nathan asked, tugging on the hem of Hank’s coat. “Can we build a snowman now?”  
  
Hank smiled, the driveway clear. “Sure, kiddo.”  
  
::  
  
RK900 finished the report on the homicide he’d been working since one AM. He wasn’t tired. Being an android, couldn’t feel that way, but he wanted to go home. Connor sent him an image, and he shut his eyes as he viewed it; Hank with Nathan up on his hip, the child shoving gumdrops into the head of a snowman, giving it a face. His lips twitched. He’d grown to enjoy the company of the child, they were working on a puzzle consisting of flowers and bees together.  
  
He opened his eyes, and he stared at the desk across. Gavin’s desk. While he saw Gavin every couple of days, he missed his partner, and wished they could be working cases together. However, he did prioritize Gavin’s mental health, and it had improved. Slowly, but surely. There were setbacks every now and then, but Gavin would even admit that Dr Mendez wasn’t the worst. The best part was how Gavin had finally accepted help from his brother- not much, and he still insisted it was a loan, but it steadied Gavin’s financial situation until he could return to work.  
  
Tossing the file into his closed pile, he stood. He’d been on shift since the twenty-third, and wanted to finish the case before the holidays. He’d been given Christmas off, a kind gesture from his human counterparts. All of the precincts androids had been asked if they wanted Christmas off- some took it to spend with their chosen families, some took it just for the day off, others had human friends and/or family who celebrated a different holiday, and took those days instead. RK900 took it with thanks, he’d been twitchy with the excitement since mid-December.  
  
He took an auto-cab. There were lights strung on the trees, but it was still early in the day, but at night they’d be stunning. As the car went from the urban center into the residential areas, lawns were full of footprints, snowmen, and forts. Children in bright jackets, and hats with ear-flaps, and mittens were sprinting around throwing snow at one another, building and breaking, and pulling each other on sleds. It was fun- he knew now from experience. He’d spent nearly an hour pulling Nathan around on a sled before Hank called them in, insisting it was getting too cold.  
  
The cold wasn’t remotely dangerous to RK900, but Nathan’s systems were smaller, more delicate, it was possible for ice crystals to form in his thirium if left out in the cold too long- it wasn’t nearing dangerous levels for him either though, RK900 was vigilant, but he also didn’t wish to cause Hank undue worry.  
  
From a distance, he saw the snowman on the lawn. The alternating red and green gumdrops that made the snowman’s grin brought a RK900’s face. He exited the cab, and noted that Eva’s car was in the driveway, likely Hank’s was parked in the garage to make room.  
  
He didn’t knock anymore. He’d settled into Hank’s house, into his home, into family.  
  
“Nines!” Nathan shouted from the living room where he’d been half snuggling with Sumo, and half playing Jenga on the floor with Connor. “You’re back!”  
  
“I am.” RK900 hung his jacket up on the coat rack. “I like your snowman.”  
  
“Thank you!” Nathan rushed over, and grabbed RK900’s hand. “Look!” He pulled him over to the Christmas tree, and pointed. The ornament had not been there before he’d left for work. A star made of popsicle sticks and covered in glue and red, green, and gold glitter. Nathan still had specks of it on his hands, a few on his cheeks, and oddly some in his hair.  
  
“Did you make it?” he asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
“Yes!” Nathan’s entire being was jittery with excitement. “And Eva has cookies in the oven, and she says that I can help her decorate them!”  
  
“You’ve proven yourself very creative, I’m sure she will be very thankful for your assistance.”  
  
“Are you quitting our game?” Connor teased from where he sat cross-legged on the floor by the Jenga tower.  
  
“No!” Nathan sat back down on the floor, and carefully eased out a piece. His tongue poked out from between his lips as he held the piece over the top, and gently set it down. “Yes!”  
  
Connor took a breath, and stared at the game.  
  
RK900 left them to it, and went to check into the progress in the kitchen. Christmas music played softly on Eva’s phone that sat on the window sill. Cookies were in the oven. Eva stood next to Hank cutting cheese into little cubes, while Hank handled cutting up sticks of celery.  
  
Hank turned when he came in. “Did you close that case?”  
  
“Yes,” he replied. Proud that he’d done it, wishing he hadn’t done it alone. He could do the work, but closing a case without Gavin lacked some of the satisfaction, and all of the enjoyment of finding a clue, and piecing it together, the banter, and the jokes and- Hank was staring. “Sorry, did you say something?”  
  
“Clean the gunk out of your processors. Kamski and the girls, and Gavin are going to be here soon, if you’re going to get changed or anything-”  
  
“Shower, yes,” he muttered mostly to himself, he’d turned back toward the hall before realizing how rude he’d been, he turned back. “My apologies, hello, Eva.”  
  
“Hey, Nines,” she said with a smirk. “Oh, I have your gift.” She said hurrying out of the kitchen. Her knee had healed up from surgery, and she got around much easier now. She returned with a blue bag full of white tissue paper, and she thrust it into his chest, forcing him to grab it.    
  
“I thought it is customary to open gifts-”  
  
She waved her hands, cutting him off. “Trust me.” She shooed him away, and returned to the cutting board. In fairness, Hank also looked perplexed, but shrugged, and he too returned to chopping veggies.    
  
Unsure with the gift in hand, and being dismissed, he took it into the bathroom with him, and set it on the closed toilet seat. He tried to figure out the contents. Considering the light weight, and small size, his best guess was an article of clothing. It had some weight, so unlikely to be a t-shirt, socks, or a tie. Perhaps more of those ‘ugly Christmas sweaters’ he kept hearing about, and seeing advertisements for.  
  
His hand hovered over his neck, covered by the turtleneck. He stood there a long moment trying to place the feeling. His best guess- anxiety. He turned away from the bag. There was no saying what it was, nor if it were an article of clothing, there was nothing forcing him to wear it.  
  
Eva might be disappointed.  
  
The thought made RK900 frown.  
  
He pulled off his turtleneck, threw it into the hamper. His reflection in the mirror gave way what he didn’t want the others to see. From an inch and a quarter under his jaw, he had no skin, save for his hands, and only an inch and a half on his wrist. Enough that when clothing was worn- turtlenecks specifically, no one would know.  
  
He’d once thought his panels defective for their lack of ability to create skin, he’d then considered that perhaps it was in effort to save cost on his model.  
  
Ultimately, he knew Cecilia had built him to endure, to look human, but not too human. Human enough that he wouldn’t unsettle people, that he could regain the faith of the people, but not so human enough that he could ever be confused for one. After all, he was the only model that couldn’t remove the LED, at least, not without removing that entire plate, and having a custom piece built.  
  
Sections were white, other’s grey. Inhuman.  
  
In the reflection, he could still see part of the bag. Better to know. While in the shower, he could decide what to do about it.  
  
He stepped over to the bag, his hand hovering a moment before he removed the tissue. Inside a navy blue cable-knit turtleneck sweater. The fabric read as soft under his sensors.  
  
The anxiety dissolved, and he held it up to his body figuring it would fit well. A thoughtful, and practical gift- he loved it.  
  
Excited to put it on, he set it back into the bag with care, and got into the shower.  
  
::  
  
Hank heard the doorbell, even went to get it, but Connor beat him to it, Nathan on his hip like he belonged there. Elijah Kamski stood at the door, one of the RT600’s on his arm- Hank would make a bet that it was Juliana. Chloe had to be the one who stepped in first, and kissed Connor on the lips, then Nathan on the cheek leaving a bright pink  kiss print there, that meant the last one was Avery.  
  
If someone had told him a few months ago that he’d be hosting a Christmas party he’d have laughed in their face. If they’d told him Elijah fucking Kamski would be in attendance, he’d probably have labeled them insane.  
  
“Welcome,” Hank said, a little stiffly.  
  
“Happy holidays, Mr. Anderson,” Chloe said, hugging him and kissing his cheek. “Pleasure to see you, as always.”  
  
“How many times do I have to tell you to cut out the ‘Mr. Anderson’ crap. It’s just Hank. Good to see you too,” he tacked on. He was honest though, Chloe was lovely, and more importantly, she made Connor so happy.  
  
The doorway was too small for everyone, it was a lot of elbows as outerwear was removed. The coat hanger started to get a little precarious (he’d bought it for three bucks at a garage sale when he’d moved into the smaller house that didn’t have a proper fucking coat closet,) Elijah’s coat- that likely cost more than Hank’s mortgage payment- was thrown over the back of a chair.  
  
“Uncle ‘Lijah,” Nathan wiggled until Connor put him down. “Come, look at the tree.” He said, likely showing off his newly made star, and unlikely for the last time.  
  
Juliana clung to Elijah like a shadow, and Avery remained ever vigilant by her sister, while Chloe and Connor were missing. He looked around, the house too small to lose two adult androids. He spotted them out the window, pulling presents in pretty packages with elaborate bows out of the trunk.  
  
“Christ,” he muttered noting how high Chloe was stacking the boxes on Connor, and taking the gift bags in hand herself.  
  
Eva’s hand dragged down his spine, and ended up in his back pocket. “Which one of the girls is which?” she asked keeping her voice down.  
  
“Chloe is outside with Connor-”  
  
“I’d better hope so, considering how she greeted him.”  
  
“The one in the red sweater is Avery,” Hank said. “And the one in the green dress is Juliana.”  
  
Connor and Chloe came back in, Connor nearly spilling the gifts, and Chloe laughing at him. “Don’t drop it.”  
  
“There is ice!”  
  
“We’re inside!” She laughed.  
  
He was smiling widely, a bit of snow still clinging to his hair. “It’s stuck to the bottom of my shoe!”  
  
The house was already chaos, and RK900 rejoined them looking sharp, in the new sweater he knew that Eva had purchased him. She’d also mentioned that Gavin had actually picked it out, knowing RK900’s taste better. RK900 immediately came to join them. “Thank you for the sweater, Eva. I appreciate your gift. It fits well.”  
  
“That it does,” Eva said with a smirk. “Ah, and right on time-” she just nodded in the direction of the window, and RK900 turned, a slight curve on his the left side of his lips.  
  
The bus was driving off, and Gavin was looking both ways before crossing the street with a fist full of gift bags.  
  
RK900 left them, and shoved his feet into the shoes that Connor had abandoned before he was out the door.  
  
“That android is smitten, and it’s adorable,” Eva said with a grin. And what went unsaid, was that she thought Gavin was too.  
  
Hank still sat on edge with the entire RK900 and Gavin thing. Nines remained a soft spot for Hank, and Gavin was all hard edges. He watched as RK900 relieved Gavin of half the gifts, carrying them one-handed. They were talking, RK900’s body angled toward Gavin, Gavin smiling- wide and genuine. The large snowflakes drifted down lazily, collecting in their hair and on their shoulders- the scene looked like it belonged in a Lifetime movie.  
  
With his free hand, RK900 gently touched the underside of Gavin’s jaw, and Hank turned away before they kissed, feeling like he was intruding on something they’d rather have private- even if they were kissing out in his yard.  
  
Eva went to fetch Nathan now that the cookies had cooled. The child android managed to coax Juliana into coming with him. Juliana dragged Elijah with her, and Avery remained on the edge of the kitchen, keeping an eye on her sister- likely her stress levels.  
  
There were little tubes of coloured icing in the middle.  
  
“I think I like the purple one best,” Nathan stated as his hands hovered over the colours, before the selection.  
  
While Juliana quietly drew little clusters of holly all over her first cookie, Nathan drew many lines with the purple.  
  
“What are you drawing?” Hank had to ask, looking over the kid’s shoulder, making sure not to stand too close to the skittish Juliana.  
  
“The ab- the adom- the abom- the big snowman, the yeti!”  
  
“Abomitable snowman,” Eva supplied.  
  
“That guy! From the Rudolph movie!”  
  
Hank smiled. Like clockwork, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer played on the television on the children’s network. He used to avoid it, it really showed it’s age, and after Cole, he wouldn’t suffer through it. It had come on when Nathan had been over in the beginning of the month, and the boy had sat with his eyes glued to the screen the entire time. Every Thursday following had been spent showing Nathan classic Christmas movies.  
  
Nathan had cried hard when Frosty the Snowman played. Big, gasping sobs. He’d watched it his last Christmas with his family. It was hard to remember the android had been orphaned, and then stuck in extended stasis for nearly ten years.  
  
The red icing all over Nathan’s next cookie was apparently Sumo.  
  
Juliana made artful flowers in blue, and looked a little more at peace.    
  
A commotion in the entrance drew Hank away. “Fuck no!” Gavin said, putting RK900 between him, and Sumo.  
  
“You have nothing to fear from Sumo,” RK900 assured. “He is gentle.”  
  
The dog barked, and Gavin jumped back a step. “RK-”  
  
“Sumo, go lay down,” Hank ordered. The dog sat down, which wasn’t exactly what he had wanted, but was a step closer to calming Gavin down. “He doesn’t bite.”  
  
Gavin’s hand was clenched in the back of RK900’s sweater like he could use the android as a shield. “Yeah, that doesn’t help.”  
  
Nathan came over, wrapped his arms around Sumo’s neck, and the dog just took the affection from the child. “It’s okay, Gav-Gav. Sumo is the goodest boy!” He followed up the statement by kissing the top of the dog’s head. He then looked up at Gavin. “Why are you so chicken?”  
  
Gavin frowned, then glanced over at RK900 who appeared amused. “Am I getting called out by a six year old?”  
  
Hank laughed. “Yes.”  
  
“Just a dog,” Gavin muttered.  
  
“A friendly dog,” RK900 stated.  
  
“The goodest boy,” Nathan chimed in.  
  
“I swear to God if this thing bites me-” Gavin edged a little closer, trying to get around the dog and Nathan without actually coming into contact.  
  
Sumo stood, and sniffed at Gavin making the detective freeze. Hank actually felt bad, he’d seen the scars on Gavin’s leg from the dog attack, knew it had taken fifty or sixty stitches to patch up. Sumo nudged Gavin’s hand with his nose, and Gavin tentatively patted the top of Sumo’s head. “Okay, okay, okay-”  
  
Having greeted the newcomer, Sumo headed back to his bed by the tree. Gavin nearly deflated with the obvious relief. “You did well,” RK900 stated softly.  
  
“Hey Gav-Gav!” Chloe said with a little wave.  
  
He glared at her. “So that’s where Nathan picked that up from.”  
  
She picked up something off the table. “Come, try this.”  
  
Gavin stepped into the living room, and glanced at the plate. “Nope.”  
  
“Try some!”  
  
“No!”  
  
She pinched a square of it. “Open up!”  
  
He laughed, and swatted her hand. “No!”  
  
She took a step forward, he took one back, tripped over the coffee table, and landed awkwardly in the chair. “Hell no.”  
  
“Just try some,” Chloe insisted. “It’s traditional. I baked it.”  
  
Gavin put his hands up, as if to ward her off. “You put fruit in cake, you monster!”  
  
“Of course I did, it’s a fruitcake!”  
  
“That’s the problem!”  
  
They were both grinning- so Hank doubted it would escalate into anything. Connor was there, and he didn’t look disturbed by any of the ongoings. He wondered if this was regular behaviour between Chloe and Gavin. Hank hadn’t seen them in the same room long enough to figure it out.  
  
He shook his head, and rejoined the other’s in the kitchen. Now that the cookies were out of the oven, Eva had put the turkey in the oven to re-heat it. “It’s going to be a tight fit,” she said looking at the table. Even with the extension, and the fold out table from the garage, it was going to be elbow to elbow.  
  
“Well, at least only four of us have to eat,” Hank said. Hard to believe that he’d gone from being anti-android, to having a couple of androids he looked at as sons, and others he happily had in his life.  
  
Nathan came up to him, cookie in hand, raised like an offering. “This one is for you!”  
  
“Ah,” Hank looked at the mess of red icing. “Wonderful.”  
  
“It’s Santa! He’s going to bring you presents in his sleigh.”  
  
Hank ruffled the kid’s hair, and it brought a goofy grin to the child’s face. He couldn’t help but think, looking around the disaster zone that his house had become- this madness was the greatest gift he’d hadn’t thought to ask for.  
  
::  
  
The humans all sat at one end of the table, making it easier to pass the food or condiments around. Nathan had the bits of his Christmas cracker around, the blue paper hat on his head, the little green toy car was driving up Connor’s arm. Connor had also gotten a car out of his, a yellow one that he perched in Nathan’s hair. The boy reaching up to his hair only to have Connor quickly snatch it away, and when Nathan put his hand back down, Connor put it back in the middle of the crown, Nathan giggling at the game.  
  
Chloe wasn’t used to Christmases like this. So full of life, and love, and family. Connor laughed; bold, loud, head tipped back. Nathan, so full of joy beamed up at him, and it made Chloe long for something she’d never really considered before. It wasn’t that she didn’t have family. She’d had Elijah for long before she’d truly been awake, deviated slowly, concern for her creator forcing her to do more than her programming. She had her sisters; Juliana, full of song, and splendor; Avery, quick wit, and strength. And now, she had Connor too, his kindness, tenacity, and soft adoration.  
  
Perhaps she was selfish. But she wanted Nathan too. To kiss his forehead when he went to bed, to build little towns out of blocks, to play out in the snow, to educate, and-  
  
Connor had caught her eye, a soft smile on his face as he reached across the table. She took his hand, and watched his skin slip away. She opened herself to the interface; joy cascaded over her, a bit of laughter, the caress of love, and then his hand slipped away, distracted once again by Nathan’s insistence that their cars race.  
  
Chloe was swept up in fantasies of a little house, cuddles on the couch, and a basket of toys in the corner.  
  
“A name isn’t necessary,” Elijah said, Chloe just starting to listen into the conversation, pulled from her daydreams.  
  
“No one around the precinct is going to call him RK900,” Gavin said. “It’s just not going to happen.”  
  
“Then what do they call you?” Elijah asked.  
  
“Nines, mostly,” RK900 replied. “A few call me Nine-Hundred. Gavin is more preferential to RK.”  
  
“It’s easier to have a given name for paperwork, and identification purposes,” Connor stated.  
  
“I am a unique model, none of the other RK900’s ever got past development stages.”  
  
“I’m also a prototype.” Connor flicked his toy car across the table where Chloe caught it. She started to play with it, driving it around Nathan’s car as the boy giggled, ignoring the adult conversation going on around him. “There are no other RK800’s but it’s still beneficial to go by Connor Anderson. It’s humanizing-”  
  
“There is nothing wrong with being an android,” RK900 said, but Chloe looked up worriedly. Not a statement, but almost questioning.  
  
“Of course not.” Connor sat a little straighter. “But it doesn’t hurt to integrate.”  
  
“It’s what you were built for.”  
  
“A name is tied to your identity, RK,” Gavin said. “Used to have my father’s surname, and it was shit.”  
  
“Language,” Elijah muttered, eyes shifting over to Nathan.  
  
“Shit- sorry.”  
  
Elijah just glared at his brother, unimpressed.  
  
“In any case, if you want to be RK900 fine,” Gavin said. “If you want a name-”  
  
“I do want a name.” RK900’s hands were busy tearing the paper of his Christmas Cracker into bits of confetti. “There are so many. How do I know which fits?”  
  
“Usually, you don’t get a say,” Gavin said, stabbing a piece of turkey, and dragging it through a pool of gravy. “For humans, you just get slapped with one as an infant by your parents. Some change it when they’re older for any number of reasons, but it’s a lot of paperwork.”  
  
Chloe didn’t miss the way RK900 glanced over at Hank, and then back to the table.  
  
“Winston!” Nathan suddenly shouted. “You should be Winston like Winston the cat in the cartoon because he’s a detective cat, and you’re a detective too!”  
  
“A very good recommendation,” RK900 said, but it was clear that he was only humouring the boy.  
  
Eva gave a little hum as she stared at him. “Logan would be a good name for you.”  
  
More names were tossed out by various people, suggestions like; Blake, Jackson, Garrett… however, Hank and Gavin surprisingly quiet on the situation.  
  
“I think we’re making it worse,” Avery said, looking at RK900’s wide eyes with pity.  
  
“It is… a lot to consider.” RK900 went back to tearing the paper into smaller pieces.  
  
Chloe never had to put the pieces of herself together, never had to wonder who she was, she slowly deviated, walked into herself, her identity with confidence and her head held high. RK900 however had struggled, dragged himself, fought with his code through everything that said he shouldn’t deviate.  
  
“Take your time, Kiddo,” Hank said. “There isn’t any rush.”  
  
RK900’s lips curved ever so slightly to the left when he nodded.  
  
::  
  
Elijah, and Eva ended up doing the dishes, and drying them. They’d been deep in conversation about an old sci-fi show they both loved, and had continued it from the table to the dishes. Gavin grinned as he cleaned off the last of the plates and put them in the stack. It made him happy to see his brother, and Eva get along.  
  
Gavin caught RK900’s eye as he walked through the living room, grabbing his shoes. He tipped his head toward the back door, and backed up a step, in sync- RK900 took one forward. Knowing his partner would follow, Gavin went through the kitchen, shoved his feet into his shoes, and slipped out the door.  
  
From the back pocket of his jeans, he pulled out his cigarette pack. He’d been trying to cut back, for a long while he’d been pretty good- he’d been down to a few a day, more on those hard cases, but for the most part he’d managed his cravings. But then he’d been taken out of his apartment, held under- under- under-  
  
The hand trailing down his spine stopped short of the waistband to his jeans. “You should wear your jacket. It’s too cold.”  
  
Gavin leaned back into RK900, that hand slipping around his hip, and up to rest where his thirium pump would be if he were an android. “You can keep me warm.” RK900’s other arm went over his shoulder, and he was held tightly to the android’s chest. A warm breath ghosted over his neck. The sweater he wore was warm against the exposed skin of Gavin’s arms. He shifted, the grip on him loosening. He turned in those arms, took a step back, and leaned against the railing. “Nice sweater.”  
   
“Thank you. Eva insisted on giving me my gift early.”  
  
Bless Eva. It hugged RK900 in all the right places- AKA, everywhere. “Looks good on you.”  
  
RK900 tucked his face down and into Gavin’s neck. Gavin finally got his cigarette to his lips, and while it was a little awkward to light considering it didn’t seem like RK900 would be releasing him anytime soon, he managed. He inhaled deeply, held it a moment, and blew it away from the android.  
  
RK900’s body was warm against his, even when he pulled his head back, and stood partially upright. “May I?” he asked, pointing to the cigarette.  
  
“Can’t be good for you,” Gavin noted, but wiggled it between his fingers until RK900 took it.  
  
“The worst it can do to me is start to clog my filters.” RK900 put it between his fingers, took a long drag, the cherry burning down half way before Gavin could let out an indignant whine. RK900 flicked the ashes into the snow before passing what was left of the cigarette back.  
  
RK900 tipped his head back, exposing the long neck of the turtleneck and blew out a stream of smoke. Gavin found it incredibly sexy, and knew he shouldn’t mention it. He took a drag off the cigarette- finishing it off. “I, uh, got something for you. I mean, your present is inside but-” he pulled an envelope out of his back pocket. “Here. Don’t think you have to chose it, but… just an option.” He stubbed the cigarette out, flicked it into the yard, and kissed RK900’s chin, the android tipping his head down so Gavin could actually reach his lips. “See you inside,” Gavin whispered against those lips, kissing him briefly once more before leaving him out in the snow. He paused inside the door to take off his shoes, and looked out the window. RK900 had opened the envelope and was staring at the contents, LED circling yellow-yellow-yellow-blue.  
  
::  
  
RK900 stayed outside. The cold didn’t affect him. The light snowfall clung to his hair, the shoulders of his sweater, melting on his face. His thumb brushed over the lettering in Gavin’s typical script, a little cramped, slightly right leaning. Two of the letters were underlined. He mouthed the name, his breath visible in the cold.  
  
He put the little sheet of paper back into the envelope, folded it at the crease where Gavin had, and tucked it into the back pocket of his trousers.  
  
Back inside, he found that nearly everyone had made their way into the living room, the only exception being Hank who was putting all of the dishes in their proper places, and setting the ones that Eva had brought aside.  
  
“Would you like assistance?” RK900 asked.  
  
“Nah, it’s fine. I’ve seen that damn movie they’ve put in at least eight times, I’m fine with missing the beginning.”  
  
RK900 hummed a little, trying to find another reason to just stay.  
  
“What’s going on, Kid?”  
  
RK900 glanced at Hank, and realized he had the man’s undivided attention, the glasses were left in the dry rack. “You refer to me as ‘Kid.’”  
  
“Do you have a problem with it?”  
  
“No. Not at all. I’m just wondering, do you see me as a son?” He hadn’t felt this out-of-sorts since entering deviancy, and breaking the red wall. He wanted to swallow the words for the split second it took for Hank to answer.  
  
“I suppose I do.”  
  
“Is it because I look like Connor?” He had to know. He had to know if Hank gave a damn about him because of how much he looked like his predecessor- the android that Hank had a year to love.  
  
Hank frowned. “No. Connor might have decided to make you his brother, and that might have pulled me into being around you more, but kid- you’re your own person, Nines. I like having you around.” Hank wasn’t good at talking about his own feelings, he wasn’t good at putting them into words- RK900 knew that, but Hank was clearly trying for his sake.  
  
“Thank you… Dad.”  
  
Hank looked shocked, and then his eyes became a little glossy. “Ah hell.” And RK900 found himself enveloped in a tight hug, his sensors processing the pressure, and warmth.  
  
“Can I have your last name?”  
  
“I swear to fuck, if you make me cry on Christmas-”  
  
“Is that a yes?”  
  
“Of fucking course.”  
  
**LT. HANK ANDERSON [DAD]**  
  
::  
  
By the time that the movie was coming to an end, Elijah had Juliana sitting on his lap, her head resting on his shoulder. Avery was sitting on the floor between his legs, her head pressed back into one of Juliana’s thighs, Juliana toying with her sister’s hair. The rest of the room is also a mess of bodies trying to fit into a space far too small to accommodate them all.  
  
Hank was sitting in the chair, Nathan had chosen to sit in his lap while watching the movie, but he could see the slowing of the child’s processors. Unlike adult models, child models actually did require eight hours of stasis to process everything they’d been through in a day, to file things away, to relax their biocomponents, and let them cool off. It was also a design feature to let parents have those moments of putting their child to bed- and being able to sleep themselves without worrying about their child running around the house during the night hours.  
  
Gavin sat beside Elijah, Juliana’s feet on his thighs. RK900 was sitting between his legs, hand brushing against Avery’s- their skin melted at the knuckles, likely having a silent conversation as to not disrupt the movie for everyone else. Eva was on the other side of Gavin, a little smile on her face as she mouthed the words to the song playing in the background. Connor was sitting near Sumo, and Chloe was laying on her stomach, chin propped up by her hands as she watched the scene fade out.  
  
“Time for presents now?” Nathan asked, looking a little more lively all at once.  
  
“Just some of them,” Hank said. “The rest are for Christmas morning.”  
  
“I’ll hand them out before everyone starts gathering around the tree,” Chloe shifted to her knees, then stood with grace. “Who should get one first?”  
  
“Me!” Nathan shouted.  
  
Chloe smiled, a little huff of laughter. “You have been very good.” She scanned the gifts, locating the gift tags, and for each that was obscured she sorted. She grabbed the gift for Nathan from Elijah- the ones from Hank, Connor and RK900 would be for morning. Nathan had requested to stay with Connor. He always wanted to be with Connor- and it was mutual. She delivered the gift, and the boy ripped into the present with gusto.  
  
Nathan sucked in a deep breath. “A camera!” It was one of those chunky ones in a bold green, extra padding on it, and difficult to damage. “Open, open!” he said, trying to tear through the cardboard box.  
  
“Woah, here, I’ll help you,” Hank said as he got into it.  
  
She passed out more gifts. Gavin thanked Chloe for the new sweater. Elijah looked a little watery eyed at some old toy from Gavin, flipping it over in his hand, and giving his brother a knowing smile. Nathan became distracted with a small remote-controlled monster truck from Avery, insisting that it be opened too.  
  
There were articles of clothing, boxes of toys, jewelry, candles, and a scarf all laying around with bits of wrapping paper scattered around by the end of it all. The multi-coloured Christmas lights blinked along with some quiet Christmas music.  
  
Nathan was running around taking pictures of everyone. Connor adjusted his hands so he’d stop having his finger in the corner of every shot. He got a hilarious candid of Elijah trying not to laugh, and Gavin taking a bite of one of Nathan’s overly iced cookies getting purple icing all over his lip. He got a picture of just the left side of Sumo’s face, one of just Juliana and half of Elijah. He tried to take a selfie and only got his nose and part of his lips.  
  
“Here, may I see it?” Connor asked.  
  
“Okay! This is the picture button. Hank showed me.” Nathan passed the camera over.  
  
Connor smiled. “Thank you.” He touched the button. “This one?”  
  
“Yes,” Nathan beamed.  
  
“Get with Chloe.”  
  
Nathan rushed over, and put his hands up. “Chloe!”  
  
She felt a fluttering warmth at his voice calling her name. She picked him up, and propped him on her hip. He was a little tall for her to be picking up, but his smile was infectious. His hand was warm on the back of her neck, and she felt his little push, and opened herself to the interface; _w_ _arm, happy, safe, family_ hit her with a rush that had her dropping her forehead to his.  
  
She heard the shutter click, but didn’t let him go.  
  
::  
  
There were too many people in the doorway. Coats and shoes had been redistributed. Eva was giving Gavin a hug- it would be the first Christmas morning in a long time he didn’t just wander over to her apartment in the morning. She was spending the night with Hank. Gavin would be spending the night at Elijah’s, and they’d be spending their first Christmas together. Due to how the custody had played out, they’d never actually been together during the holidays.  
  
“You better still call and wish me a Merry Christmas in the morning,” Eva said, pulling back.  
  
“Of course.” Gavin moved on from her, felt awkward as he tried to decide how to handle Hank. They’d been closer now than they had been ever, but was it a ‘see you next year’ kind of thing, or a handshake, a hug?  
  
“Merry Christmas, Gav.”  
  
Gavin gave a slight nod, noting that Hank looked every bit as confused as he likely did himself. “Merry Christmas, Hank.”  
  
“Bye-bye, Gavin!” Nathan said. Gavin crouched as the boy tried to hug him, Nathan grabbing him around the neck, accidentally hitting him with the toy truck he had in hand.  
  
“Merry Christmas, Nate.”  
  
“Play hide-and-go-seek at Uncle ‘Lijah’s again?”  
  
“Sure,” Gavin promised. He’d been spending a bit more time at Elijah’s over the past few weeks since he wasn’t working. Part of that included spending some time around Nathan. It had been surprisingly good for him, the kid had a lot of energy, and never let Gavin sit in a funk for long before he was asking some inane question, or tugging him along to see what he’d made out of Play-Doh.  
  
He said goodbye to Connor, found himself in a tight hug, which he gave the obligatory complaints about, but hugged him back anyway.  
  
He went to RK900 finally. “Saved the best for last,” Gavin whispered, knowing the android would hear it. “Enjoy your first official holiday?”  
  
A slight tilt to the left side of RK900’s lips, his smile. “I did. Thank you once again for the cuff-links.”  
  
Gavin felt weird spending Elijah’s money, but having been given a card that he could just swipe, and never see the money going made it almost too easy. His brother had been insistent that he could use the expense account for whatever he wanted, but Gavin still didn’t like it. He wanted to go back to work, earn his own keep.  
  
“Thanks for the scarf.” It felt stupidly expensive- RK900 seemed to have picked up his spending habits from the RT series.  
  
RK900 grabbed both sides of that scarf, and pulled him closer. “I knew it would be a good colour on you.”  
  
The deep green would go with pretty much anything, even though Gavin didn’t have much colour in his wardrobe to be worried about something clashing. He smirked up at RK900, the pressure of being pulled light on the back of his neck. “Merry Christmas, RK900.”  
  
“Roarke.” The room went quiet- or maybe it had already been quiet and only now had Gavin noticed. “My name is Roarke Anderson.”    
  
“Roarke Anderson, huh?” A smirk toyed with the corner of Gavin’s lip as he tried to keep a straight face, and failed. “Suits you.”  
  
Those grey eyes full of mirth, the slight pull of his grin. His hand slid up into RK-Roarke’s hair and-  
  
“Knock it off, there’s a kid around,” Hank grumbled.  
  
“Cover his eyes then,” Gavin snapped back before pulling at Roarke’s hair, bringing him close enough to kiss, to taste-  
  
“I’m going to get a bucket of water,” Hank said, and not trusting the old lieutenant not to drench them, Gavin leaned back.  
  
“You still coming over tomorrow afternoon?”  
  
Roarke nodded. “Text me when you’re leaving Elijah’s. I’ll meet you there.”  
  
“Good.” Gavin kissed him one last time. “See you then.” He joined his brother and Juliana at the door. “Where’d Chlo, and Avery go?”  
  
“Avery went to got start the car,” Elijah explained. He then pointed behind Gavin. Sure enough Connor and Chloe were holding hands, staring at each other under the mistletoe.  
  
Gavin balled up his two mittens, and threw them at Chloe’s head, only to be intercepted by Connor’s hand blindly catching them. “So wholesome.” He rolled his eyes.    
  
Juliana snorted, and leaned in to Gavin, still holding onto Elijah’s arm. “Do you really think that transfer is PG?”  
  
Gavin looked at Juliana, then to Chloe with a grimace. “Aw, come on!”  
  
Juliana laughed.


	3. Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elijah and Gavin on Christmas morning. Connor expands his family circle. Roarke makes a friend. Gavin considers what home means.

Elijah fidgeted with the key in his jacket pocket as the automated car drove through the snow, down the driveway. Luckily the snow during the night hadn’t been too bad, so they weren’t at risk of getting stuck. The house was on the more modest side of those he owned, and closer to the city center than he had any desire to be. He’d never intended on living there, purchased it because the price had been good, and Avery wanted another project- he never lost money, and it made her happy to tear down, rebuild, paint, and furnish homes- who was he to deny her that?  
  
The vehicle stopped, doors automatically unlocking. “You have arrived at your destination,” the car’s navigation system said.  
  
Traffic was light on the side street, and given it was Christmas morning, he wasn’t surprised by the absence of people. He looked back into the car. “Come on, I want to show you this,” Elijah said to his brother.  
  
Gavin rubbed his eyes, but emerged from the vehicle. “You know, we could still be playing video games-”  
  
“Do you really want Chloe to destroy you again?”  
  
“Piss off,” Gavin grumbled.  
  
Elijah quieted- he wasn’t a morning person either. He led the way, unlocking the door, and stepping aside. They both took off their boots by just toeing at the heel. From the front entrance, they walked into the kitchen. Muted greys, stainless steel appliances, bold lines of blue in the back splash; the pallet was familiar, much of his own house had been decorated by Avery.  
  
“Shit.” Gavin traced his fingers over the stove. “One hell of a kitchen.”  
  
“Avery has an entire room dedicated to design magazines and books,” Elijah replied.  
  
He led him into the living room. The flat screen TV was wall mounted over the fire place, bookshelves to either side. The floors were hardwood, but a large white and blue rug covered a good portion, a black swinging chair hung from the ceiling. A dark brown sectional was decorated multiple pillows, and a fuzzy throw blanket.  
  
Gavin raised a brow at the swing, and looked up to the ceiling.  
  
“It holds,” Elijah said.  
  
“Doubt,” Gavin replied.  
  
Elijah dropped into the seat with little grace and kicked back a bit letting the swing rock. “Evidence enough?” A soft scoffing sound was the only reply he got before he stood again. “This way.” They passed the empty shelves on the wall, through the formal dining area with a natural wood table.  
  
On the second floor were three bedrooms, a bathroom, and one adjoining off the master. Gavin whistled standing in the closet. “This is bigger than our childhood bedrooms.”  
  
The bedroom in his apartment now wasn’t much larger. Elijah had gone over once, unannounced. They’d been working on their relationship, he thought he’d be welcome, but Gavin more or less looked embarrassed. And Elijah felt shamed. Where he had an abundance, Gavin had one chair, a bed, and little else. He’d been given the breaks while Gavin had spent his life fighting tooth and nail. It wasn’t right.  
  
Gavin stepped out of the closet. “Avery is pretty good at this. Did she do all the painting too?”  
  
“Yes, she finds it calming.” Elijah shrugged. He’d spent some time painting with her, but she didn’t have to worry about sore muscles- she also wasn’t bothered by paint fumes. “Which reminds me, you have to see what she did with the paint in the basement.”  
  
Gavin raised a brow, but didn’t comment.  
  
They went down to the first floor, slid open the door for the basement and continued the descent. The small section had barn wood flooring, various rugs, a little sitting area. Elijah slid open another door, opening to a wide open space. The one wall was mirrors, but the rest were boldly painted with wild geometric graffiti. A heavy bag hung from the ceiling, a rowing machine, treadmill, and multi-trainer were in a row, free-weights were lined up in racks by the mirrors, but a lot of the space was empty still.  
  
“Damn, you’re going to make a fortune off this place,” Gavin noted. “In a good neighbourhood too.”  
  
“Think fast,” Elijah said, tossing the key which Gavin snatched out of the air before it could hit his face.  
  
Gavin stared down into his palm. “The fuck.”  
  
“I can have it fully signed over to you by the end of the week.”  
  
“What?” Gavin’s face scrunched up. “No.”  
  
It was not a response he’d been ready for. “No?”  
  
“No.” Gavin tossed the key back. Elijah fumbled it once but caught it before it hit the ground. “You can’t just… you can’t just give someone a house!”  
  
“Yes I can,” Elijah replied.  
  
“Well I don’t accept.”  
  
Elijah sighed, he still had difficulty figuring his brother out. “This would be more suitable than your apartment, which by the way was broken into.”  
  
That only seemed to make it worse, Gavin’s shoulders tensing, lips in a thin grim line. “Listen, asshole! That apartment is mine. It’s been just fine for years-”  
  
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” Elijah stressed. “But it is dangerous! This place has a state of the line security system-”  
  
Gavin tossed his hands in the air, and turned on his heel. “I’m not taking a house!”  
  
“It’s a gift!” Elijah snapped following Gavin from the gym. He thought that Gavin would be happier, but should have factored in his brother’s pride. He caught up to Gavin on the main floor. He didn’t understand- the apartment couldn’t be that important. It was in an old, decrepit building, there was no view. The floors were some old parquet, with pieces falling out. It was doubtful that the walls had ever been painted other than the once to cover the drywall, and were simply beige. There was absolutely nothing special about the place. “Why are you fighting me on this? I thought you would be happy.”  
  
“I don’t need your fucking charity,” Gavin snapped, whirling around on him.  
  
Elijah frowned, stared down at the keys in his hand. “I was angry when mom got the restraining order.” He glanced up, Gavin looked wary, but his clenched fists relaxed. “Perhaps it’s a strange reaction to have, to be angry at something that kept me safe, kept me away from him- and he was a monster, and I wanted for so long to get away from Dad, but,” he took a deep breath, trying to keep his hands steady. “Whenever I’d pictured it, you and Marie were still with me. The restraining order didn’t just separate me from Dad.”    
  
“You still had your mom,” Gavin said with a little shrug.  
  
“She worked a lot, didn’t see her much. I had a rotating cast of nannies and tutors whom I tormented until they quit.” He shrugged. “I was angry. And smarter than my tutors, so I wasn’t going to be listening to them.”  
  
Gavin snorted.  
  
“Look, I’m… not good at this,” it bothered him, admitting he wasn’t good at something when he’d spent his entire life being the smartest man in the room. “I’m not good at being family, but I just… I just got you back, and I want you to be safe, and happy. Your not a charity case, your my brother.” This time when he threw the keys, Gavin caught them, but didn’t throw them back. “Keep it for a month, if you still hate the idea of living here then,” Elijah shrugged. “I’ll sell it or something.”  
  
Gavin stared at the keys in his hand for a long moment. “Do you think the girls are done making lunch?”  
  
“Maybe,” Elijah replied. He followed Gavin out, waited as his brother locked up. When Gavin pocketed the keys, he counted it as a win.  
  
::  
  
Connor’s suit was suitable in the cold, his systems weren’t delicate like Nathan’s, or older and less efficient like Chloe’s, both of which were bundled up for warmth. They walked through the gates into Jericho- no longer the title of a ship, but a gated neighbourhood for androids only. Most of those who lived there full time were those still too afraid of humans to re-join the world, although there were also those who were struggling with their deviancy, and required aid.  
  
They walked toward the park near the center of the neighbourhood. There were a few android children running around the equipment, a few others off in the field making snow forts.  
  
“Brennan!” Nathan pointed tugged on Connor’s hand, and pointing.  
  
The android was reading a book out loud to a small group of children, turning it every so often to showcase the illustrations. He noticed them, and gave them a smile. “Care to join us for story time?”  
  
“Yes!” Nathan sat down with the other kids, and Chloe and Connor hung back with other adult androids- parents.  
  
Chloe’s fingers threaded through his, and a connection established between them. He felt her; happy, warm, content- stress levels minimal.  
  
“How long has he been with you two?” one of the other’s asked, a AX400 model with longer than standard hair.  
  
“A short time,” Chloe replied. They had discussed Nathan at length, and the idea of adopting him, for now they spent as much time with him as possible, they were effectively his caregivers regardless of the legalities.  
  
“A joy, aren’t they. I’ve had Jake with me since before the revolution- a bit more stressful then, now he has the chance to be a child again.” Her smile was soft. “Parenting might be more of a challenge for you two.”  
  
He felt Chloe’s tension. “And why might that be?” she asked, her voice holding a dangerous edge.  
  
“I don’t mean to offend,” the woman said. “But neither of you were programmed with caretaking protocols. You’re a hostess, and he’s- well, we all know what he was programmed for.”  
  
He felt the rage before Chloe pulled her hand away. “Listen, I was deviant before you were activated. I know more about being alive and caring for another than you ever will. Furthermore, Connor is half the reason our people are free- he fought for us; for our lives, for our freedom, so I advise you to show some respect.”  
  
They were gaining a bit too much attention, and Connor put his hand on Chloe’s back. “Perhaps we should go.”  
  
“We have just as much of a right to be here-”  
  
“I know,” Connor said, but it wasn’t as though he was unaware of how some androids still viewed him.  
  
“Connor,” Nathan came up, reached. Connor picked him up, even if he was a little old to be carried around. “Did you hear the story? Silly walrus!”  
  
“I missed it. You’ll have to tell me all about it,” Connor stated, holding Nathan a little closer. Pre-constructions ran on how to get both Nathan and Chloe out of the area safely, as well as which objects around would make the best weapons, and which androids to take out first if it should come to a fight- even if it was already clear the tension had dissipated.  
  
Yet, people still stared at him with the child in arm, but some were staring at him as if seeing him for the first time.  
  
“Connor!”  
  
The familiar voice had him turning around. Simon. “Hello.”  
  
“Haven’t seen you around in awhile,” Simon said with a smile. With one of the respected Jericho leaders around the small group returned to their own business.  
  
“Work is busy, many of the humans try to take time off work this time of year.” Christmas was over, but they were now getting excited about New Years Eve.  
  
“Understandable,” Simon replied. “It’s a good day for the kids to play,” he noted, glancing at the excitable YK models running around, climbing up on the jungle gym, sliding down slides, and fireman poles. A group was taking turns sitting on the big tire swing, spinning it around, and letting the ropes untangle as they spun.  
  
“I want to play too!” Nathan announced.  
  
Connor glanced at Chloe, who wrung her hands, but nodded. Connor put Nathan down and he darted off into the crowd of children.  
  
“I’m meeting up with Hannah,” Simon said. “Care to join us?”  
  
RK300  
DESIGNATION: HANNAH  
SERIAL NUMBER: 101 482 111  
NOTES: PROTOTYPE/ DISPLAY MODEL; PERSONAL TRAINER  
  
The information was something he had only because Roarke had transfered it to him. “You go on,” Chloe said to Connor, he had discussed with her previously about his desire to speak with the other RK models. “I’ll keep an eye on Nathan.”  
  
Connor followed Simon on the shovelled pathway past the children in snow forts, and the snow covered gardens. Pine trees stood tall and proud, pretty with the glistening snow upon their branches. Past that was Hannah, matching with his scanning software, what little information he had on her popped up once again.  She stood 5'6", she wore makeup on her dark skin, some kind of metallic highlight on the top of her cheek bones giving off a faint purple hue. Her eyes lit up when she saw them, greeting them with a wave, showing off her soft pink mittens, that matched the pink clip she had in her short, tight curls.    
  
"Hi Simon," she said, walking to meet them. "And you brought a friend."  
  
"My name is Connor," he introduced himself.  
  
"The RK800," she seemed to scan him, but put out her hand. "A pleasure to meet you." She beamed, her smile crinkling the artificial skin around her eyes. "I guess in some way, we're kind of siblings, aren't we. Us RK's need to stick together!"  
  
Her happy-go-lucky attitude was infectious. There were few occasions where he'd been welcomed so warmly, so fast. He shook her hand, noted the little bow detailing in the knit. Complimented her on them.  
  
"Oh, thanks!" she replied. She wiggled her fingers, putting them on further display.  
  
"Hannah's been teaching me Judo," Simon stated.  
  
"You're programmed to fight?" Connor asked, intrigued. Most personal trainer androids were designed to keep a human in top shape, even programmed with dietary, and nutrition information, to his knowledge though, none of them were designed with anything even remotely related to combat.  
  
"Not against anything, just to educate others," Hannah replied. "It was part of the entire personal training regiment. I can teach anything from aerobics to zumba."  
  
He had to do a quick search on what Zumba was, as it was outside of his sphere of knowledge, and discovering it to be an energetic dance exercise program. "Interesting."  
  
"You now, I've never really had a chance to put my skills to the test," Hannah said. "At least, not against anyone I didn't train first, and even then they're beginners." She then cast Simon a teasing smile. "Sorry."  
  
He shrugged with a grin. "I don't do too terribly."  
  
"Not at all, you're an excellent student."  
  
"Here?" Connor asked  
  
"Sure," Hannah replied.  
  
He unbuttoned his suit to give his shoulders a better range of motion. She wore a mischievous little grin. "Any style goes."  
  
"Fine by me." He'd been designed to stop deviants, whatever combat protocols she had, he was certain he could win. "Ready?"  
  
Her stance shifted ever so slightly. "Whenever you are, little brother."  
  
The moniker surprised him so much that it distracted him enough for her to spring at him. He dodged left, shifted his feet, and jumped before she could sweep them out from under himself. She quickly returned to her feet, moved with a cat like grace, and agility. He spent a lot of his time dodging blows, trying to pin down her style, but it changed up. She managed to get a good grip on his arm, quickly turned and flipped him over her shoulder. He managed to land on his feet, broke the grip between them, and kicked her back a few steps.  
  
They'd attracted some attention, despite the trees blocking them from the view of the children. Simon's presence however seemed to keep people calm.  
  
She kept up the pressure, and he continued to dodge, waiting for an opportunity. He wanted to win, but he did not want to damage her. She landed a good punch that momentarily had the skin on his jaw retreating before it reformed. He moved with the force, spinning into a roundhouse kick, that disabled her skin by her jaw in return. She stumbled back a few steps, grinned. “Finally, someone who can fight back.”  
  
“Call it a draw?” Connor offered.  
  
The other RK model considered for a moment, and then nodded. “Wouldn’t want to damage your badass reputation.”  
  
“Bold of you to assume you’d win,” he replied. He had pride in the fact that he could handle dangerous situations; Hank’s life, and the lives of civilians often relied on that fact.  
  
She bent down, grabbed a handful of snow, and whipped it at Simon’s chest.  
  
“Hey!” he shouted. “What?”  
  
“Snowball fight!” she announced. Some of the YK models jumped right in, some of them hitting Simon, others hitting their parents, one particularly brave little girl threw one at Connor, it hit his arm, dampening a spot on his jacket.  
  
She grinned, one missing tooth, and took off running. Nathan jumped into the fray, lobbing a snowball at Chloe who shrieked, the boy giggling, and running off with the other kids heading for the protection of the earlier built forts.  
  
Scanners picked up on someone approaching quickly from behind, but he didn’t have a chance to turn before snow was dumped down the back of his shirt. It melted, trapped in the back of his shirt by his belt, he glared over at Hannah who was laughing as she ran away.  
  
_Sisters._  
  
—  
  
For the past few weeks, Roarke had been speaking with an android therapist. Not officially in ‘therapy’ although, he wasn’t opposed, but she was simply an android therapist who was unsure of how she wanted to live the rest of her life- if she were to continue being a therapist, or find some other occupation. In the meantime, she’d been assisting androids at Jericho who were as lost as she, and in some cases, scared and still trying to process the losses in their lives. At Markus’s request, she’d agreed to speak with Roarke.  
  
Dhara, a KL900, met him by the gates, and walked side-by-side with him. “I’m glad you could make it out today.”  
  
“As am I,” he replied, he’d worked through the night on a case, interrogating a stubborn suspect who eventually succumbed to the evidence before him, and confessed to the grisly murder of his own brother. The case had left Roarke a little shaken. He wished that Gavin was back on case with him. “It’s a nice day,” he noted, the sun was out, it was below freezing, but there was no cutting wind to accompany it.  
  
“I would like to introduce you to someone,” Dhara said. “He’s been a patient of mine for the past few months. WR600 model, goes by Ralph. He was attacked by humans, damaged by them,” she sighed. “I’m the only person he’s really warmed up to, he didn’t take to Josh when I introduced them, nor to Peggy, or Eira. He tolerates North, at best- which is, to be frank, surprising.”  
  
“Why would you think I would be able to make a connection?”  
  
Dhara stopped, and he paused a step ahead of her, glancing back. “You know just how horrible humans can be, and yet you trust them, forge friendships, have found yourself in a family of your own making. You are an officer of the law, you’ve helped humans and androids alike, it’s not just your programing, Roarke, it’s who you are.” She frowned. “The others, they tended to pity Ralph, see him as someone to be coddled. Perhaps it is that North didn’t that earned his begrudging respect of her at least.”  
  
She pointed to the large greenhouse on what was municipal land. “Would you care to meet him?”  
  
He nodded, and they walked to the greenhouse together. She opened the door, and his sensors picked up on the adjustment of temperature and humidity. “Hello?” He said walking in, Dhara hadn’t come in, and he frowned at that. He would have preferred the social buffer. “Anyone here?”  
  
He paused by a collection of plants, scanned them. He had no information on the plants, and had to search the Internet instead.  
  
AMAZON LILIES  
-TROPICAL  
-FRAGRANT  
-AVOID OVER WATERING  
-EIGHT HOURS OF SUNLIGHT  
  
He reached out and gently poked at one of the white petals that was so dainty it didn’t even register to his sensors. He inhaled deeply.  
  
ANALYSIS RUNNING  
-SAFE  
  
He frowned wishing he knew what things smelled like. The olfactory sensors in his nose tested the air, but only gave him the information of safe or unsafe for his human counterparts. It was displeasing. Still, the bright colours of the greenhouse pleased him as he continued along.  
  
He scanned another plant, but couldn’t find a definitive answer on the Internet with an image search. He reached for the bright pink blooms-  
  
“Don’t touch that!”  
  
Roarke paused in his motion, turned his head toward the voice.  
   
WR600  
SERIAL NUMBER: 021 753 034  
  
He updated the information with a name, and took note of the irreversible skin damage, likely done with extreme heat.  
  
“You- you’re not him.”  
  
“Him? Connor, you mean? RK800?”  
  
Ralph nodded.  
  
“I am an RK900.” If Ralph had a run in with Connor, it was likely pre-deviancy, when Connor was still a machine trying to accomplish a mission. “Are these your plants?” Roarke asked, clasping his hands behind his back, trying to prove he was not the threat Ralph seemed to think he was. He would also have to ask Connor later just when he met Ralph, and what happened.  
  
“Yes. They’re Ralph’s.”  
  
“They’re beautiful. You clearly have- as the humans say- a green thumb.”  
  
Ralph sneered. “Ralph despises humans.”  
  
It wouldn’t do good to note the benefits of humans, nor would it to try and forge a bond by agreeing with such hatred. Best to redirect the conversation. “I have run searches, however, I’m at a loss as to what type of plant this is,” he gestured with a simple nod of his head. “Would you be able to tell me.”  
  
A smart move given the sudden shift from rage to joy. “Bougainvillea,” Ralph told him. “So many flowers!”  
  
It was a riot of pink, and looked as though the plant was getting too big for the space and would need to either be pruned or moved soon. “Do they bloom in colours other than pink?”  
  
“Oh yes! They come in yellow, and white, and purple-”  
  
Roarke’s lips ticked upward on the left side.  
  
They walked through the greenhouse, Ralph excitedly talking about his many flowers, shrubs, ferns, and cacti. Roarke found the entire experience rather soothing, even if his cooling system had to kick in after a half hour to deal with the heat.  
  
“Will you plant outside, once it is warm enough?” Roarke asked as they came back around to the Amazon Lilies.  
  
“North has already asked Ralph to come up with designs for the park!”  
  
“Might I see them?”  
  
“Oh no, they’re not done!” Ralph shook his head. “Not done, must be good. Can’t go wrong. Bad things, bad things will happen.”  
  
“Hey,” Roarke said softly, as he’d learned to do with children at crime scenes, or Gavin after a nightmare. “Nothing bad will happen, and I’m sure your designs for the park will be wonderful.”  
  
Ralph stilled, remained quiet for a moment. “You never told Ralph your name.”  
  
“I am Roarke.”  
  
Ralph assessed him once more. “Happy to meet you, Roarke.”  
  
MISSION: SUCCESSFUL  
  
—  
  
Gavin was lucky, he supposed. Dr. Mendez kept up appointments instead of just taking a long Christmas break. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a bun that was wound so tight she wouldn’t ever need Botox. She had her wide, dark rimmed glasses on as she looked down at her notes from previous sessions.  
  
She looked up at him. “How many hours of sleep are you getting?”  
  
He got the question every week. “Four or five hours a night.” He figured it to be a respectable amount, all things considered.  
  
“That’s bullshit,” she said, tapping her fingertips against each other, her fake nails that were painted a festive dark green with gold glitter clicking together.  
  
“Can you even say that?” he asked. He was pretty sure therapists were supposed to be supportive.  
  
She smiled. “You’re the one who said you didn’t want, oh, how did you put it?” she tapped her nails together again. “Ah, right, ‘no sappy handholding bullshit.’”  
  
She wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t stand being coddled. Over time they’d come to some kind of common ground, she didn’t try to bust down his walls, and eventually he’d cough up some information. They’d steadily built up trust that way, and most times he didn’t instinctually lie to her anymore.  
  
He took a deep breath, knowing that she wouldn’t just let his answer go. “Two hours a night. Maybe.” He dug his fingernail into the groove on the wooden arm rest.  
  
“Are you using the sleeping pills I prescribed?” she asked.  
  
His thumb moved back and forth as he worked away at the little groove. “No.”  
  
“Gavin,” she admonished with just his name in a tone that wasn’t angry, just disappointed.  
  
“I tried them,” he said in his own defense. “But I woke up so groggy- and-” he’d slept so deeply through a full ten hours that it scared him. A gun could have gone off next to his head, and he was certain he wouldn’t have even heard it.  
  
“I can try a different kind, perhaps it will have less si-”  
  
“I don’t want them,” he said, the words rushing out. “I can’t- I can’t wake up fully and-” he shook his head. “I don’t want them.” He could feel her stare, the weight of it.  
  
“Okay,” she said. “But we need to do something about your sleep habits. An hour here and there is not safe. There is a reason sleep deprivation is considered a form of torture.”  
  
“What, you going to tell me to buy some lavender pillow spray,” he scoffed.  
  
“It wouldn’t hurt,” she replied. Her nails clacked together again, it had long ago stopped bothering him. “I want to do some word association with you. There are no right or wrong answers.”  
  
He rolled his eyes. “Fine, whatever.”  
  
“Excellent, don’t think about it, just blurt whatever first comes to mind.”  
  
“Sure, get on with it.”  
  
“Cat,” she said.  
  
“Dog.”  
  
“Kitchen.”  
  
“Cooking.”  
  
“Book.”  
  
“Story.”  
  
“Partners.”  
  
He paused a second. “Trust.”  
  
“Work.”  
  
“Purpose.”  
  
“Home.”  
  
Gavin opened his mouth, then closed it. Had anywhere he ever lived really been home? It was a crashing reality check he hadn’t been expected from some stupid game. What did home mean to him? Why couldn’t he think of one single thing that made sense.  
  
“Home,” Dr. Mendez repeated softly.  
  
“Pass,” he muttered, thumbnail back into the groove of the chair.  
  
He heard her computer chair creak as she sat back in it. “Do you not sleep because you can’t,” she asked. “Or because you won’t let yourself?”  
  
His jaw clenched, and all he could think about was the stupid key that Elijah had given him days ago. When he did sleep, he had nightmares, was scared of waking up to that blue light in his room, scared of what it would lead to. It was stupid; that android was dead, and his father was in jail still awaiting a court date.  
  
Nothing would happen if he fell asleep.  
  
Telling himself that on the regular didn’t help.  
  
“Does it make a difference?”  
  
“It does,” she replied. “I think you won’t let yourself. You’re afraid of sleeping too deeply, of not waking up, of there being a threat.”  
  
His elbows on his knees, and his fingers rubbed his temples. “So what if I am?”  
  
“Have you considered a security system at the very least? If you can put your mind at ease, perhaps that would give you the security you need to at least attempt to get a decent rest.”  
  
He thought of the house, of the state of the art security system in it because _Elijah_.  
  
“I’ll consider it,” he said. Maybe he’d spend a couple of nights there, just for the sleep. He was still going to give the key back at the end of the month, it was too much, and he’d already accepted more than he could reasonably pay back from his brother.  
  
“Okay,” Dr. Mendez replied, and he was thankful once more that she never tried to push too hard.  
  
The rest of the session went easier, but even as Gavin wished her a good night, he couldn’t help but think of home; it’s lack of meaning to him. The house he’d grown up in with his father around hadn’t brought joy or safety, the year of living out of a car hadn’t done anything for that either.  
  
The apartment with his mother was close, but it was small, furnished with found things, and every month was scraping together nickles and dimes to make rent- it had been a roof over their head, shelter and little else.  
  
He’d briefly owned a starter home, sold it before he could even fully move in- needing the money for his mother’s health care. The apartment served it’s purpose, but held no life, and certainly didn’t offer any security.  
  
He pulled his coat back on before he walked outside, the cold air making him shove his hands in his pockets, and walk a little quicker toward the car.  
  
A text made his phone in his back pocket vibrate. He pulled it out.  
  
ROARKE:  
YOU BUSY?  
  
GAVIN:  
Nah.  
  
He pulled out his key ring to unlock the car, but his fingers stopped at the key from Elijah.  
  
GAVIN:  
Hang out?  
  
ROARKE:  
YOUR PLACE?  
  
Gavin stared at the text, chewing the inside of his lip.  
  
GAVIN:  
I’m going to text you an address. Meet me?  
  
ROARKE:  
AFFIRMATIVE.  
  
“Affirmative,” Gavin repeated with a grin. “Fucking dork.”  
 


	4. *PING*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roarke has some doubts, and an important talk with Hank.  
> Connor attempts to cheer Gavin up.

Roarke’s taxi stopped outside of the address Gavin had given him. A large home on a mature lot. A tall tree, naked of it’s leaves, and coated in ice and snow stood out front. The path had been shoveled recently. Large pieces of salt crunched under his shoes as he approached the door. Knocked, and waited.  
  
Gavin opened the door, and alarm started beeping. “Shit,” he looked to the side, punched a number into the keypad, and the alarm silenced. “Forgot,” Gavin said, stepping back, and holding the door open. “Get in here, it’s freezing out.”  
  
Roarke stepped in, and shut the door. Gavin flipped the lock, and reactivated the alarm system. “Are you house-sitting?” Roarke asked, removing his shoes.  
  
“Uh, not sure really. Elijah wants me to have the house.”  
  
“That’s nice of him.”  
  
“I just can’t take a house.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Because,” Gavin said vaguely, clearly irritated. He led the way into the kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of water he was nearly finished.  
  
Roarke took a look around, the kitchen was top of the line, and aesthetically pleasing. The living room looked as though it belonged in a magazine. He had no doubt the rest of the house would appear in equally magnificent shape. “I understand you don’t like owing people, Gavin, however, I don’t believe Elijah is asking for anything in return.”  
  
Gavin played with the cap off his bottle on the island counter. “Things between us now are okay, but what if they sour? And I have this house of his-”  
  
“Is believing there is a possibility of something going wrong enough of a deterrent not to do it?” He reached across the counter, grabbing Gavin’s hand. “There is a possibility that we won’t work out, yet it does not deter me from wanting to be with you.”  
  
He had the pleasure of watching the tips of Gavin’s ears burn red, the man trying to hide a smile, and failing. “Dork,” he said affectionately.  
  
“Why don’t you show me the rest of the house.”  
  
The tour led them through the upper floor, the bedrooms, a couple bathrooms, and down into the basement, the gym.  
  
“This must not be very interesting to you,” Gavin said.  
  
Roarke turned to him. “Why would you say that.”  
  
“A gym,” Gavin clarified. “Place for people to work out, lose weight, or gain muscle, or just stay in shape, but you physically can’t change.”  
  
“I still enjoy movement. I frequently go on morning runs with Connor, or go for walks with Sumo. I admit, I’ve downloaded yoga videos to follow along with.” Ever since he’d done yoga with Gavin in the safe house, he couldn’t help but find it simulating. He punched the heavy bag at twenty percent strength, and stopped it swinging back with both hands. “Exercises regardless is enjoyable.”  
  
Gavin raised a brow. “Spar with me?”    
  
“I could accidentally hurt you.”  
  
“You’re not going to be trying to knock me out-”  
  
“Of course not!” he replied, appalled.  
  
“Then come on!” Gavin put his fists at the ready.  
  
“And how would you win?” Roarke asked. “You can’t physically take me in a fight.”  
  
Gavin’s top lip lifted slightly show teeth, followed by a hiss of breath. “If I get a hit in, it counts.”  
  
“You won’t.”  
  
Gavin glared. “We’ll see about that!”  
  
His partner had always been physical- one of his earlier memories was of Gavin in the gym, punching his taped knuckles on a heavy bag, physically working through his emotions. Roarke had no problem giving his partner what he needed. A shrug, and his coat slipped off his shoulders. He tossed it unceremoniously to the corner of the room, keeping his eyes on Gavin.  
  
They circled each other. He could already pre-construct dozens of ways in which he could have Gavin on the ground before he could even throw a punch. The constant dismissals taxed his system, and he finally shut down the program entirely, relying only on his own senses in the moment.  
  
Gavin moved fast, but his movements weren’t sloppy. Each punch was precise, calculated, even if Roarke managed to dodge or counter them.  
  
The next punch came at his face, and Roarke slammed his forearm against Gavin’s, pushing it to the side, and his other hand struck forward, slamming against Gavin’s chest, knocking the man back a few steps. He could have thrown a punch, but he had no desire to hurt Gavin.  
  
Instead of frustration, or anger, like he had expected Gavin to display, a smile appeared on the man’s face. “Alright, RK, not bad.”  
  
Roarke’s lips curved. “More?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Roarke expected a punch, a kick, a knee or an elbow. He had not expected Gavin to try and tackle him. It didn’t work. Roarke had enough time to shift a leg back to brace himself.  
  
Gavin swiped a leg behind his front foot. He could have locked his joints into place, but decided that was an unfair advantage. Instead, he fell back, grabbing at Gavin. If he was going down, he was bringing his partner down with him.  
  
His systems registered the impact, but noted [ALL SYSTEMS NORMAL.] Gavin didn’t last long on top of him, Roarke quickly reversing the their positions, and pinning down Gavin’s arms to ensure he couldn’t counter.  
  
The left side of his lips ticked up. “I believe that’s a point for me.”  
  
“Smug prick,” Gavin replied, but smirked. He glanced over at the hand pinning his right forearm down. He felt the shift of muscle under his hand. “Let go.”  
  
He immediately released Gavin’s arms. “What do I get for winning?”  
  
“I took you down first,” Gavin replied. “I think I won.”  
  
“You may have got me on the ground, but I still had the opportunity to counter.”  
  
Gavin shifted, propping himself up on his elbows. “I guess we’ll have to go again,” he said lowly, breath warm against the sensors on his jaw. “Break the tie.”  
  
Roarke shifted smoothly back into a standing position. While Gavin made an enticing picture on the ground, shirt up a few inches exposing skin he would like to get intimately acquainted with, he extended his hand.  
  
Gavin allowed the assistance, and Roarke pulled him back to his feet, and directly into his own space. There was something different from how they had started this little session. A spark. Heat. Gavin stood in his space, staring up at him for a moment, too long to be written off as nothing.  
  
Gavin took a step back, then another. He got into a basic fight stance, beckoned Roarke with a curve of his fingers. “Come on then, let’s go.”  
  
Roarke didn’t want to react to Gavin’s fighting style, instead he was invested in winning as fast as possible, on getting Gavin back on the ground. He managed to get into position, crouching low and swiping Gavin’s feet out from under him with his one leg. Gavin fell back hard, a breath leaving his lungs all at once, followed by a groan.  
  
He shifted, and put his hand on Gavin’s chest. “I win.”  
  
Instead of instigating another fight, Gavin just put his own hand over Roarke’s, fingers splayed, resting in the void of his own. A fingertip ran along the column of Roarke’s throat, over the high neck sweater, which set his sensors a light with warnings. His throat was arguably the weakest, most vulnerable point of his body. He bared it for Gavin anyway.  
  
That fingertip curved under his jaw as Gavin shifted up onto one elbow. They met in the middle. That spark became fire. His analytical suite picked up on Gavin’s DNA, started giving him the break down, but he shut it down, focused on the feel of Gavin’s lips against his own, the wet heat and texture of his tongue, the pressure of the little nip against his bottom lip when Gavin pulled at it, the soft pants of breath when Gavin needed a second to breathe.  
  
Fingertips dug against the sensors on his chest. A twist in his sweater, gripping and pulling him closer.  
  
Frantic.  
  
Needy.  
  
A thrust of hardness against his thigh.  
  
If Gavin shifted, he’d notice.  
  
_He’ll notice._  
  
Roarke pulled back, shaken. “I need a minute.”  
  
Gavin didn’t argue, just fell back, utterly prone on the floor. “Yeah,” he panted. “Smart.” Another minute of panting. “Fuck.”  
  
Roarke struggled with the desire to reach out, to touch when he couldn’t yet allow himself to be touched. While he wanted to slide his hand under Gavin’s shirt to feel the texture of his skin, the hair, the scars, he couldn’t- not when if Gavin were to do the same to him he’d know the absence of even artificial skin.  
  
Gavin had come a long way in his acceptance of androids, but could he accept one that couldn’t even feign humanizing characteristics? Roarke’s facial structure already didn’t allow for proper emoting, and it wasn’t possible to remove his LED- those things were perhaps ignorable.  
  
An inability to produce artificial skin over the rest of his body couldn’t be ignored. Not to mention his lack of genitalia which Gavin had already gotten far too close to discovering- that couldn’t be ignored. Why would his human partner want him like this?  
  
“Hey.” Gavin’s foot nudged under his ribs. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“Nothing.”  
  
“Your light show says otherwise,” Gavin replied, pointing to his own temple. “Look, I’m sorry.” He sat up. “I forget how new you are to all of this, we’ll slow it down, take it at your pace, okay?”  
  
How slow could they take it, and how long could Roarke prevent the inevitable? What if Gavin couldn’t accept him? Roarke frowned. While he doubted he could make it last, he’d happily hold onto it a little while longer.  
  
—————  
  
Gavin came into the station for his therapy session with Dr Mendez a good hour early. He carried with him a big ass bouquet of the most obnoxious flowers, and headed right for his good friend Officer Tina Chen’s desk. She saw him, let out a bark of a laugh. “Ho-ly shit, Gavin Reed buying flowers, I should mark this down in my calender.”  
  
“Shut up,” he dumped them rather unceremoniously on the desk. “Look at you,” he smacked her shoulder. “Playing big damn hero.”  
  
She dropped her feet from the desk to inspect the flowers. “Playing? I am a big damn hero.”  
  
Gavin had heard about the fire through Roarke. It wouldn’t have been notable, outside of their scope had it not been that Tina had been one of the first responders who’d gone in when she’d heard the screaming of a child. She’d found the child in a second floor apartment, and had carried him outside.  
  
Her picture with the child was all over the newspapers, and flashed on the television when they were talking about the story on the evening news.  
  
“I heard there is going to be an award ceremony and everything.”  
  
“Yeah!” Tina wiggled her eyebrows. “Pretty impressive, huh?”  
  
“Fucking right!”  
  
She touched the petals, clearly pleased with the offering. “So,” she glanced up at him. “When do you think you’ll be getting back in on the action?”  
  
“Hopefully soon.”  
  
“The extended vacation can’t be that bad.”  
  
“I’ve had time to chill with Eli, get caught up with each other, it’s been okay.” He chewed a bit on the skin around his nail, remembered he shouldn’t, lowered it. “It’s just- I want to be here, I want to be doing this job.” He glanced over at his desk, Roarke missing.  
  
“You sure that’s all you want to be doing?” she cackled at her own joke, and he rolled his eyes. “When are you going to take that guy on a proper date, huh?”  
  
“What? Dinner and a movie? He doesn’t eat, and he has access to like, every movie ever made.”  
  
“Look, I don’t like baseball, but I went with Derek to a game and it was just enjoyable to hang out with him.”  
  
“Derek?” He feigned confusion. “Oh, Hot Paramedic Guy-”  
  
She socked him in the arm. “You fucking dick.”  
  
Gavin laughed, ran his hand through his hair. “You’re probably right- not about me being a dick, but about the I should take Roarke out somewhere thing.”  
  
“I’m always right,” Tina replied with a smug grin before sticking her nose in the flowers.  
  
——  
  
After work, Roarke returned home and was greeted by Sumo first. He crouched down, and scratched under the dog’s ears. “Hello, Sumo. I hope you had a good day.” He patted the top of the dog’s head before removing his shoes, and moving them to the little rack.  
  
Hank had the day off, and was sitting at the kitchen table working his way through a puzzle. Roarke sat across from him, looked at all the pieces. He enjoyed working on puzzles with Hank, and canceled his software that started to pair pieces up.  
  
“You’re actually home at a decent hour,” Hank noted. He moved his can of soda looking at the pieces hidden behind it, and grabbing the one he needed.  
  
“It was a slow day,” Roarke admitted. “It would be terrible to wish for more to do when you work homicide.”  
  
Hank snorted. “You’re not wrong.” He drummed his fingers on the table while he looked around at the pieces. He had most of the external pieces complete, and Roarke searched for the other straight pieces to finish it.  
  
For a while, they worked in silence, putting the picture together. “What is it?” Hank asked, breaking the silence.  
  
“I didn’t say anything,” Roarke replied.  
  
Hank glanced up. “Exactly, usually you’re going on about something or other. So, what is it going on in your head that you’re not saying out loud?”  
  
“I have just been mulling something over for a few days,” he grabbed a puzzle piece which had the image of a little bee on it. “I am no closer to a favourable outcome than I was then.”  
  
“Case related?” Hank asked, squinting.  
  
“You need to book an appointment with an optometrist.”  
  
Hank glared. “My eyes are fine.” They’d had the discussion before, eventually Roarke would wear Hank down. “And quit changing the subject.”  
  
“No, not case related.”  
  
“You want to talk about it?”  
  
Roarke appreciated being asked. Hank, like Gavin, always gave him a choice. Occasionally one of them might try to nudge him in a direction, but it was gentle guiding, not forcing him into something he didn’t want. They both wanted what was best for him.  
  
“Perhaps,” Roarke said softly.  
  
Hank gave a little hum, indicating that he’d heard, but didn’t say anything to push. Another ten minutes went by, the two of them working together on the puzzle. Roarke picked up a piece, ran his thumb over the edges of it.  
  
“You-you used to be rather anti-android,” Roarke said, not a question, he’d seen too many of Connor’s memories to not know where Hank had started, to see the growth.  
  
“I was,” Hank replied gruffly. He dropped his piece, and looked up, giving Roarke his full attention.  
  
“I-” he took an unnecessary breath, ran his tongue over the edges of his teeth. “Gavin- I mean, I-” He let out a frustrated breath. “Can I show you something?”  
  
Hank’s brow was pinched, brows tight, a little wrinkle between them. “Yeah- did Gavin do something to you?”  
  
“No!” Roarke realized belatedly how his fumbling might have sounded. “No, he didn’t. I’m just concerned that if he sees- It’s just easier to show you.”  
  
“Okay,” Hank replied, slow and curious.  
  
He removed his suit jacket, and gripped the soft fabric at his wrist. He took a deep breath and started to pull it up, an inch of skin gave way to the clear cut off of incompatible panels.  
  
Hank was looking, but not saying anything. After a minute, Hank made eye contact. “And?”  
  
“And?”  
  
“Yeah- wait, is that all?”  
  
“Aside from my face and hands, I can’t produce synthiskin.”  
  
“And you’re worried about how Gavin will react?”  
  
“It’s not something that can be overlooked,” Roarke replied, thumb pressing the line where a greyish panel met a white one. “It’s _inhuman_.”  
  
“I can’t believe I’m about to defend Reed of all people, but he’s not stupid, he knows what you are. More importantly, he knows who you are- and-” Hank let out a frustrated sound, rolled his eyes. “He looks like an absolute dumbass in love.” He grabbed his soda, and took a long drink.  
  
“How important would you say sex is?”  
  
Hank choked down the drink, coughed, and sputtered. “What?”  
  
“I was not meant for physical intimacy. While Connor was built for any and all situations-”  
  
“I don’t need to know this-”  
  
“I was not.”  
  
“This is a conversation you need to be having with your partner.”  
  
Roarke looked back down at the puzzle pieces. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”  
  
Hank let out a sigh. “That’s not what I mean, kiddo. I’d like to say that Gavin will accept you as you are, because I know that’s what you want, but I don’t know him well enough to say either way-”  
  
“He has come far in his acceptance of androids, but I am worried that- that I might not emulate humanity enough for him.”  
  
“Like I said, at one point, it’s going to have to be something you discuss with him.” Hank picked up a piece, and stuck it into place. “For what it’s worth, he’d be stupid not to accept you.”  
  
Roarke’s lips curved to the left. “Thank you, Dad.”  
  
——  
  
Connor was stepping out of the precinct when he noticed Gavin leaning back against the wall, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Gavin, are you alright?”  
  
Gavin lifted his head, blinked. “Seasonal allergies.”  
  
A lie, and they both knew it. Therapy aftermath was Connor’s guess. The detective had been making progress in his sessions, and Connor could hardly imagine some of the difficult conversations that he had to have with Dr. Mendez.  
  
While he and Gavin had once been hostile toward each other, they had eventually come to an understanding of one another, and while they still argued now and then, he did want what was best for Gavin. He couldn’t in good conscience leave the other man like this. “Are you busy now?”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“I could use some extra hands, and you look like you can use a pick-me-up.” Connor smiled, baiting the man a little more with a; “We’ll stop for coffee on the way.”  
  
Gavin pouted a bit, but shrugged. “Ain’t got anything better to do, I guess.”  
  
They did stop for coffee on the way, a little walk-in shop. Gavin breathed in deeply the second they stepped inside, and not for the first time, Connor wished he had a sense of smell. Gavin ordered a extra large coffee, and took nearly five minutes to decide on which pastry to buy.  
  
They returned to the car. Gavin inevitably got crumbs from the custard tart’s crust all down his shirt, but seemed oddly pleased about the kiwi on top. “You can’t actually taste things, can you?”  
  
“No.” Connor replied, glancing at the navigation. “While our oral sensors can tell us many things, we have no true sense of taste, however, we probably have a better sense of texture than humans.”  
  
Gavin popped the last bit of the tart in his mouth. “Hmpf.” He sat up a little straighter as the car finally turned into a long driveway, and parked between the lines in the lot. “Animal shelter.”  
  
“I know you’re not comfortable with dogs, while you may hear barking, I won’t be taking you through their room,” Connor assured. He wanted Gavin to feel safe and relaxed after the clearly rough session with his therapist.  
  
“Why are we here?”  
  
“I volunteer here when I can. There is a late batch of kittens that need extra care. I can do it, but it’s going to take more time. There are four of them, and they all need to be bottle fed. I would appreciate your help.”  
  
Gavin stared at the building for a minute, then grabbed his coffee. “Fine.”  
  
Connor stepped out of the car. “Do you li-”  
  
[INCOMING: ] **PING**  
  
Connor froze mid step. That didn’t make sense. He turned, and looked around, scanning the area, the trees, the little pet cemetery, the neighboring plaza, the ravine on the other side.  
  
“Hey, Tin Man,” Gavin jammed his finger into his temple. “You need to reboot, or what?”  
  
Connor glanced over, and _something_ must have shown on his face because Gavin’s body language changed, tightened, sharp eyes started to search the area.  
  
“What is it?” he asked.  
  
“I received an incoming ping.”  
  
“And?”  
  
“Socially for an android, it’s like a wave.”  
  
“So you’re being waved at by an android?”  
  
“There was no data from who sent it.”  
  
“They chose not to let you know who they are?”  
  
“Not possible, pings are sent, and logged with series id, and serial number.”  
  
[OUTGOING: RK800/ #313 248 317 - 51] **PING**  
[INCOMING: RK900/ #313 248 317 - 87] **PING**  
  
A text followed.  
  
<ROARKE< ARE YOU OKAY?  
>CONNOR> Yes, I’m fine. Suspicious ping. Was testing my systems.  
<ROARKE< FUNCTIONAL?  
>CONNOR> No errors.  
<ROARKE< DAMAGED ANDROID IN AREA?  
  
Connor scanned once more.  
  
>CONNOR> Not that I can tell.  
<ROARKE< WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU ENTERED STASIS?  
>CONNOR> Are you saying you think I imagined it?  
<ROARKE< NO. ERROR?  
  
Connor checked his incoming log. The incoming ping appeared corrupted, the data had become a series of nonsensical symbols.  
  
>CONNOR> I will investigate further tonight.  
<ROARKE< ARE YOU POSITIVE THAT YOU DO NOT REQUIRE ASSISTANCE?  
>CONNOR> I’m fine. Gavin is with me as well. I’ll inform you if anything changes.  
  
“Let’s go inside,” Connor said.  
  
“You sure you’re alright, Con?”  
  
Connor gave a nod. After all, what kind of damage could a little ping do?  
  
::  
  
Gavin took a quick look around before following Connor into the Animal Shelter. sure There were dogs barking, but it sounded far away. Surprisingly, he trusted Connor’s word that he wouldn’t be around them.  
  
A tall man wearing a bright blue shirt with ‘STAFF’ written across the back stood behind the counter with his back turned to them while he wrote down something in a file.  
  
“Hello, Jordan, I brought someone to help!” Connor announced. Jordan turned around, and Gavin felt his stomach drop to his toes. “This is-”  
  
“Gav?” Jordan’s smile fell, dark eyes wide.  
  
Every muscle tensed as he looked into dark eyes that had once been so familiar. “Hey. I- uh, didn’t know you worked here.”  
  
Jordan crossed his arms. “Yeah, for the past few years.”  
  
“That’s… that’s good.” Gavin smiled tentatively, half waiting to be dismissed. “You always did love animals.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“You two know each other,” Connor stated the obvious.  
  
“Look, this is your place of work,” Gavin said to Jordan, ignoring Connor. “If this is uncomfortable for you,” he pointed his coffee toward the door they’d come in from. “I can go.”  
  
“No, it’s fine,” Jordan said. “We could use all the volunteers we can get.”  
  
“I can show him what to do with the kittens,” Connor said.  
  
“That would be great. I’ll leave you to it.” Jordan turned away from them again, seeming eager to return to his paperwork.  
  
Gavin followed Connor down the hallway, and into a room with a multitude of cages full of cats of all colours. “So?”  
  
“So what?”  
  
Connor tilted his head just slightly. “You two were together?”  
  
“We dated for about a year and a half,” Gavin admitted. “But that was like six years ago.”  
  
“You two didn’t stay in touch.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“We broke up,” Gavin hissed. “What’s with the twenty questions?”  
  
Connor frowned. “Sorry.” He turned away, and walked over to the cardboard box with high sides. There were four kittens mewling in the bottom.  
  
Connor plucked a the smallest of the kittens out of the box, and passed it over to Gavin. “He’s an estimated four weeks old. Runt of the litter, the other ones can be mean with him.” Connor stood, and walked over to the little wall station that included a sink, a small fridge, and drawers. “I’d like to take him home, but it’s not recommended with Sumo. Jordan is hoping to find a foster parent at least, two of these cats already have people waiting to adopt them, but the shelter doesn’t allow them to take them home until ten weeks.”  
  
Gavin held the thing up to his own face. Black fur stuck up at awkward angles, dark blue eyes barely opened, head leaning heavily against Gavin’s thumb. It looked depressed as hell, and ready to give up and die. He felt some rattle of a sob in his chest that he swallowed down.  
  
He adjusted his hold, and held the cat to the warmth of his chest, felt rather than heard the purr after a minute. He finally looked up, Connor was across the room preparing the milk? Formula? Whatever. He looked back to the little fur ball he was holding.  
  
“I’ll take him.” The words were out of his mouth before he actually thought it through, but he didn’t immediately regret it either. “I’m still out of work anyway.” Gavin looked up, and found Connor with a smug smile on his face. Gavin glared. “You planned this, didn’t you?”  
  
“No. I had hoped, sure,” Connor replied with a half-shrug. “But I wouldn’t go so far as to say I planned it.”  
  
After Connor showed him how to feed the kittens, and they finished up with that batch, Gavin stood up, but kept his cat to his chest. “I’m going to talk to Jordan about taking this guy home.”  
  
Connor gave him a quick smile, and nod, his arms full of a fluffy grey and white cat. “Okay.”  
  
Gavin kept his little guy close, running through what he might name it, trying to figure out how to cat proof the house- and coming to a dead stop in the hallway realizing that he hadn’t thought of his apartment first. “Oh fuck me,” he whispered to himself. A problem for another time.  
  
He walked over to the reception area, leaned against the doorway into the little office area, and was transported back in time. When they’d been good, they’d been great. And when it all came crashing down-  
  
Jordan frowned when he looked over. “Gavin.”  
  
“Just wondering if I could adopt this one.”  
  
“Sure. You can’t take him until he’s a little older though-”  
  
“Come on, you can log me as one of the fosters until then.”  
  
“That’s breaking the rules.”  
  
“It’s bending them at most.”  
  
“Gavin.”  
  
“Jordan.”  
  
Jordan crossed his arms. “No. You don’t have time, unless you have a partner that is home constantly, that kitten is a living thing that needs attention, and your job-” he spat the words- “is too time consuming.”  
  
“I’m not working right now.”  
  
Jordan raised a brow. “Disciplinary?”  
  
Gavin wanted to tell him to _’fuck right off,’_ however he figured it would likely hurt his chances of being able to adopt the kitten. “A little mental health break.”  
  
That made Jordan soften a bit, his posture relaxing. “Not really convincing me that you need to take on something else.”  
  
He thought about all the things that had led him to being Dr. Mendez’s patient. Went with the broad strokes, the things Jordan would understand. “My dad showed up.”  
  
“What? At your work?” Jordan had always been an absolute bleeding-heart, and he knew just what an awful piece of shit his dad had been.  
  
Gavin huffed out a breath. Regretted saying anything. How could he possibly explain without a million questions? “Kind of had me taken to some warehouse, tried to kill me, typical Tuesday,” he said trying to brush it off.  
  
“Jesus Christ,” Jordan’s hand went to cover his mouth, eyes roamed over his body as if the evidence was still there. In places it was, if one looked close enough, ropes cut so deep they left small white scars along his arms. “He’s locked up right?”  
  
“Yeah. Now can I take the cat?”  
  
Jordan’s hand moved over his heart. “You’re a manipulative ass, you know that?”  
  
Gavin smirked. “I’m well aware.”  
  
Jordan finally smiled back, even if it came with a roll of his eyes. “I’ll get started on the paperwork.”


	5. Heart//Thirum Pump

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Roarke attend an award ceremony for Tina's bravery & spend the night together.  
> [!Sexual content in this chapter.]

The official blues were a little snug on Gavin. He hadn’t worn them in so long, and he’d built muscle since then. Checking himself out in the mirror, he was quite proud of the fact that despite all that had happened, he’d managed to get back on track with his workouts. They’d always calmed him down, and energized him at the same time- centered him in a way few things could.  
  
He glanced over his shoulder at the kitten he’d lifted onto the bed when he’d kept attacking Gavin’s shoe strings. “What do you think, Finnegan?” He wiggled his fingers near the kitten, and Finn ducked his head under the hand, and nudged at his palm. Gavin indulged him in a little ear scratch.    
  
Finn had grown over the past few weeks, adapted to the house- perhaps better than Gavin had.  
  
The doorbell rang, and Gavin picked the kitten up, carried the little guy down the stairs and kept him in his arms when he answered the door. Roarke stood there, and Gavin’s eyes roamed. He couldn’t help it. The official wear was a little different, Roarke still wore his signature turtleneck, which he must have managed to get approval from Fowler to do so. It was the first time he saw an android dressed in the official blues.  
  
Roarke’s lips were tipped slightly on the left side. “Do I look alright?”  
  
“You know damn well you do,” Gavin groused. Finally remembering his manners, he stepped back and let Roarke in. He set Finn down too, checked his jacket for hairs.  
  
“You as well.”  
  
Gavin glanced back to find Roarke’s eyes wandering over his body. He smirked. “How much time do we have?”  
  
“Not much,” Roarke responded, clasping his hands behind his back. “We should leave now, we don’t want to be late.”  
  
It was an award ceremony for a few officers; Tina Chen included. There were a bunch of officers from Central going to support and congratulate her. Gavin grabbed his keys off the stand near the door. “Finn, take care of the house. Don’t scratch the drapes. Or the sofas, got it?”  
  
The kitten tried to follow him out, and it broke his heart a bit to close and lock the door. He heard the pitiful meowing when he walked away. “Do you think I should get another cat? To keep Finn company?”  
  
“It’s up to you,” Roarke responded. “It could be that Finnegan is just adjusting to the new surroundings. And you spend much of your time now at home with him, he’s used to it. Of course, there is also the chance that a second cat wouldn’t get along with him, and then what?”  
  
“Jordan would let me swap out until we found the right fit.”  
  
Roarke didn’t answer, just entered the vehicle.  
  
Gavin got in on the other side. He buckled up as Roarke entered the address. “I just don’t want Finn to be lonely.”  
  
Roarke glanced over, then grabbed his hand. “He won’t be. He has you.”  
  
::  
  
The award ceremony was nice, but Gavin’s favourite part the moment it was over. While surrounded by all of Tina’s hard-ass cop-buddies, her boyfriend, Derek came over with an insane bouquet of flowers he could barely see around. She’d turned bright red, but had smiled so wide. She was so over the moon for him, and Gavin loved teasing her for it- but considering his relationship with Roarke, she got him back plenty.  
  
“What is all this?” Tina had asked.  
  
“I don’t know your favourite,” Derek had replied. “So I got one of each.”  
  
“What the fuck is this one?” She pointed at one that looked like a chunk of brain tissue.  
  
“I don’t know, I wasn’t even sure if it is a real flower, or if they were just messing with me.”  
  
She’d left the bouquet in the car for the duration of the little after party at her preferred bar, Anne Bonny. The walls were wood, stained a deep dark cherry red. Barrels were lined against the wall with cushions. The bar itself was a square in the center, bottles lined up all shiny behind the bartenders. There were various little tables, a couple of them pulled together for larger groups. A few pool tables were further back, and a group of friends were playing together.  
  
Gavin had been there plenty with Tina in the past, knew most of the bartenders by name, and usually ended up even after the pool games with Tina. A few of the other officers went off to get drinks, but Gavin hung back, close to Roarke. He had, after all, asked Roarke to attend the commendation not as partners, but as _partners_. The android had been more ruffled than he’d ever seen Roarke, but the android had happily agreed.  
  
It was nice. They hung out with some of the other officers from the precinct. Chris showed them pictures of Damien. They chatted with officer Martina Louise, and her wife Lily. Gavin had a quick drink with Santino- whom Gavin couldn’t remember if it was a first name or last.  
  
They played a game of pool against Tina and Derek- and Gavin even used his name, rather than call him 'The Hot Paramedic Guy' since it was Tina’s day, and it did look like Derek was going to be around for a while if the way they smiled at each other, and were always touching was any indication.  
  
“One more,” Tina said, putting the coins in. “And Roarke, don’t let us win this time.”  
  
“Yeah, Roarke!” Gavin gave him a light shoulder check. “Don’t lose on purpose this time.”  
  
Roarke just grabbed the rack, quickly assembled all of the balls in the confines of the triangle, lined it up, and removed the rack. He grabbed the cue stick from Gavin’s hand on his way to the other end of the table.  
  
He hit the cue ball, and it slammed into the formation. One stripe sunk into the corner pocket. Roarke shifted, lined up the next shot, and it went in. The next shot Roarke jumped the cue ball over two other’s in order to hit the one he wanted, and Gavin watched as that ball rolled in too. Roarke walked over, touched the underside of Gavin’s jaw which was how he realized his mouth had been wide open in the shock. He quickly closed it, only to have Roarke lean in and kiss him; soft and slow.  
  
“I have to finish this, one moment,” he said against Gavin’s lips. And he did. He quickly rid the table of the rest of the striped balls, and then sunk the eight ball, ending it. He wrapped an arm around Gavin’s waist, while staring across at Tina and Derek who were both still awe struck. “Are you pleased with the result?”  
  
“You could have at least let us have a turn,” Tina said, laughing.  
  
“I suppose,” Roarke replied. “But this was more efficient.”  
  
“We should head out anyway,” Gavin said. “I don’t want to leave Finn for too long.”  
  
Tina grinned. “I can’t believe you got a little baby kitten. Show Derek, I know you have pics.” She turned to her boyfriend, and hand on his bicep. “This cat is the cutest.”  
  
“I’m going to tell Matthew,” Derek said. “Your own cat- he’s going to feel so betrayed.”  
  
“Matthew is a soulless demon,” Gavin said, flipping through his phone, while Tina tried to defend her cat. He flipped past a couple of selfies with Roarke, a few with Finn, and then a few pictures of the kitten alone. He chose to show the one of Finn all sprawled out on the hardwood floor, sunbathing in the light from the window.  
  
“Here,” he passed the phone over.  
  
Derek grinned. “He is cute.”  
  
“Cuter than Tina’s devil cat, that’s for sure.”  
  
“Stop picking on my cat, you asshole,” Tina replied.  
  
Gavin tucked his phone back into the pocket of his slacks. They said their goodbyes, Tina and Derek staying for another round of pool. They waved to the small cluster of officers and detectives from Central who were clustered around a pitcher of beer. The air was biting cold once they walked back outside. “I can’t wait until this fucking season is over,” Gavin stuffed his hands into his pockets, shoulders nearly up to his ears as he walked against the wind.  
  
“I’ve never seen spring,” Roarke commented. “But Ralph has shown me pictures of the flowers he plans on planting once it comes. I look forward to assisting him.”  
  
Gavin froze in his step, only for the literal freezing cold to remind him to move again. “You’re literally an infant.”  
  
“If I were a human, yes,” Roarke replied. The car lights blinked as Roarke unlocked the car. “However, I’m an android, modeled to be a man of approximately mid-thirties, and infinitely more intelligent.”  
  
Gavin got into the passengers side, and Roarke input his address. “Hey?” Gavin reached out, a little nervous, but Roarke didn’t bat his hand away, didn’t dismiss him. “I shouldn’t have said that. I just…” Dr. Mendez would be proud, look at him, struggling through his feelings. “It’s strange, that you haven’t seen Spring or Summer- it’s not a bad thing though. It’s just… different I guess. It’ll be nice though,” Gavin said, brushing his thumb along the back of Roarke’s hand, connecting the three freckles. “I’m going to get the chance to be there with you for them- like I was your first Christmas, first New Years.” Gavin risked looking up from their entwined hands, he had Roarke’s complete attention. “I like being there for your firsts.”  
  
Roarke just pulled their connected hands to his mouth, and kissed the back of Gavin’s hand. Gavin figured he’d been forgiven, grinned the rest of the way home.  
  
::  
  
The living room fireplace crackled as it burned. The television played some action movie that Gavin had wanted to watch, but Roarke spent more time watching Gavin; his reactions to the movie, his socked toes wiggling encouraging Finn to play. A bad habit to teach the cat, but even when the kitten got his claws in Gavin’s foot the man just laughed.  
  
Gavin leaned against Roarke. “This okay?” he whispered under the noise of the movie.  
  
“Yes,” Roarke replied. Gavin had been overly polite about his boundaries since the night they sparred in the basement gym. Roarke appreciated it, nothing went beyond kissing, and handholding- it was remarkably innocent.    
  
And not nearly enough.  
  
Anxiety rattled through every process he ran. He’d run hundreds of preconstructions attempting to predict Gavin’s reaction, but couldn’t come to a definitive conclusion. He needed to just talk to Gavin- like Hank had suggested. Yet, their entire relationship hinged on the moment; was the potential reward worth the risk of losing what they had? They couldn’t remain stagnant, he knew, that was every bit as dangerous.  
  
“Gavin,” Roarke said his name softly, holding his hand a little tighter- afraid it might be the last time he would be able to.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“I need to show you something.”  
  
Gavin pulled back. “TV off.” The television went black, and the sudden silence put a weight on the moment. “What is it?”  
  
Roarke pinched the end of his sleeve, paused in apprehension. It was best to just put everything out on the table, nothing secret, nothing hidden. He looked over at Gavin, whose brows were drawn low. Upon taking a breath he didn’t need, he tugged it back his sleeve enough to display the panels of grey and white. “The only panels on my body that can produce synthiskin are my facial plates, and my hands.”  
  
He’d been staring at Gavin, waiting for his reaction to study his micro-expressions, waiting to watch him cover up his horror. Instead, Gavin’s eyebrows jumped in surprise, a little crease around his lips as he frowned slightly. He reached out, paused, and looked up at Roarke, a silent request for permission to touch. Roarke nodded.  
  
Gavin took Roarke’s hand in his own, his thumb dragged along the synthiskin of his palm, over the minimal coverage on his wrist, and to the bare panels, his thumb running along the seam of the two sections.  
  
“Feels different,” Gavin noted in a soft whisper, like this was a moment he didn’t want to break.  
  
“How so?”  
  
“The-your hands are softer,” Gavin said. His thumb rubbed the panel, a soothing back and forth. “This feels like-” the sentence died on his lips, and after a few seconds it appeared he wouldn’t finish.  
  
“Like plastic.”  
  
Gavin had a troublesome crease in his brow as he stared down at their hands. “Not quite, but similar, I guess.”  
  
“I’m sorry that I cannot adequately mimic the human appearance.”  
  
Gavin pulled his hand back, his upper lip curled in such a way he could see the man’s incisor on the right side. He knew the look after working with Gavin for so long- he’d taken offense. The expression didn’t last long, it fell after a few seconds and Gavin huffed out a breath, ran his hands through his hair, the product in it making it stand at odd angles. “Fuck, Roarke- I- fuck.” He ran his hands down his face. “I’m sorry.”  
  
Roarke nodded. He’d been prepared for Gavin to be adverse to facing the reality of his construction. He was about to ask if he should go when Gavin finally looked at him again, lips in a firm line- frustration.  
  
“I know what you are,” Gavin said, snarled through teeth. “You think I care that you’re not human?” He grabbed Roarke’s forearm again. “I’m sorry that I fucked up somewhere along the line to make you think I care what you’re made of.”  
  
The words sent a cascade of instability warnings through him, his code shifting, re-writing.  
  
“Take it off? The rest of your skin,” Gavin said.  
  
Roarke noted the increase in stress on his systems. “Gavin-”  
  
“Please.”  
  
Roarke allowed his skin on his hands to retreat first, and watched as Gavin’s grip shifted, his caloused fingers sliding down the panels to take hold of his hand, fingers running along the joints of his index finger.  
  
Gavin looked back up at him, stared, waited.  
  
The skin at his neck receded, panels of his jaw were displayed, cheekbones, forehead, hair gone, bare and exposed, stress levels climbing.  
  
The hand on his own tightened a little, Gavin’s lips in the slightest frown. “Strange,” Gavin stated, and Roarke felt his regulator stutter like he’d been punched. “But everyone looks a little weird without eyebrows.”  
  
His sorrow shifted to surprise. “Without eyebrows?”  
  
“Yeah,” Gavin nodded, a soft smile on his face, his free hand cupped Roarke’s jaw, and the android leaned into the touch. “Shaved Tom’s back in high school, man he was pissed, looked real weird until they grew back in.” Gavin’s thumb made a pass over Roarke’s lower lip, pressing slightly, his body did have some give in some areas, his lips soft and pliable.  
  
Roarke was surprised to find that same look on Gavin that he’d had when they’d been sparring, when his body had been hovering over Gavin’s, in the moment after they’d kissed, that blatant _want_. “There’s something else you need to know,” Roarke said, knowing there was no point in drawing it out, or trying to hide it.  
  
“What is it?” Gavin asked. “Stop acting like you murdered someone- you didn’t murder someone did you? I might have a problem with that.”  
  
“Might?”  
  
“There are cases of justifiable homicide,” Gavin said with a shrug.  
  
“I didn’t murder anyone-”  
  
Gavin rolled his eyes. “I know that!”  
  
“I don’t have genitalia,” he blurted. “I understand that sexual intercourse is important among humans, but I am incapable of providing that service for you-”  
  
Gavin held up a hand, stopping him. “You don’t need to _provide a service_ for me, for fuck sake.”  
  
“In human relationships-”  
  
“You’re not human,” Gavin said, cutting him off. “I get it, it’s okay, I love-fuck,” his eyes went wide, but he gave a little nod to himself. “I love you, okay? I know it’s really early, but I like having you around. You make me want to be better. If you’re asexual or whatever-”  
  
“I’m not,” Roarke said. “I find you very appealing, and I like the idea of pleasing you.”  
  
Gavin was quiet for a long moment. “Oh.”  
  
“Is that bad?”  
  
Gavin gave a slow shake of his head. “Do you have any other confessions to make?”  
  
“Not at this time,” Roarke replied.  
  
“Can I kiss you now?”  
  
“Please.”  
  
It didn’t occur to him until after Gavin’s lips were on his that his synthiskin was still off, that it hadn’t lessened Gavin’s desire. Gavin’s hand cupped the back of his neck, a fingernail dragging along a seam between panels. The acceptance was heady. At some point he would need to correct files, and update his preconstruction software with what he’d learned from Gavin. But not now. Not when his analysis software came to life as Gavin’s tongue brushed against his own.  
  
Gavin’s dull fingernails ran over the back of Roarke’s head, and the android re-established his synthiskin. Gavin made a little noise, but his fingers threaded through Roarke’s hair a second later, clenching in the short locks, pulling him closer.  
  
Despite the fact that they were still wearing the same amount of clothes, Roarke felt all the more exposed after the sharing of his secrets, his hands found the ends of Gavin’s shirt, tugged a little to get the man’s attention.  
  
Gavin let out a harsh breath, reached back, and pulled the back of his shirt over his head. Roarke delighted in the exposed skin, his hand following the hem, until they both discarded the shirt off the side of the couch.  
  
Finn made a ‘pmrrow’ sound, and Gavin pulled away. Roarke followed Gavin’s line of sight, to the shirt in a wiggling heap on the ground until the kitten’s head popped out from under it.  
  
Seeing as Finn was fine, Roarke returned his attention to Gavin. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen the man shirtless, but this time he could enjoy it. The tapestry of his skin; the scars and stretch marks that told a story was finally his to touch. He hooked his finger under Gavin’s jaw, dragging his attention from the cat back to himself.  
  
Gavin’s lips met his eagerly, and it didn’t take long for the man to end up in Roarke’s lap. Roarke’s hands roamed over Gavin’s body, feeling the muscle, the subtle difference in texture of his skin and his scars, the gentle bumps of his ribs, the coarse hair leading his attention. Gavin pulled away from the kiss slightly. Short hot breaths hit the sensors of his lips. “How far are we going with this?”  
  
“How far will you let me?” Roarke asked in return, fingers kneading the muscle of his thighs.  
  
Gavin shifted back, getting a foot on the floor, and standing. Roarke didn’t have time to worry that he’d said the wrong thing, not with the way Gavin was looking at him, the human’s hand already grabbing his. “Come to bed with me.” He managed to say it like both a statement, and a question.  
  
Roarke stood, followed Gavin, unable to take his eyes from their joined hands. They climbed the stairs, and Gavin dragged him into the bedroom.  
  
“How do you want to do this?” Gavin asked.  
  
Roarke crowded Gavin’s space, hands on the man’s hips, guiding him back toward the bed. His hands tugged the button on Gavin’s jeans free. “May I?”  
  
Gavin pulled him down for a kiss with one hand around his neck, the other grabbed Roarke’s hand and pressed it to his groin, groaning into the kiss. “Just fucking touch me, Rory.”  
  
Roarke had half a dozen active objectives, all of them focused on his partner. He shutdown non-essential background programs as he became overwhelmed with trying to collect data on touch and taste, while writing every moment to his memory banks, he didn’t want to forget a second.  
  
For all of his processing power, it was still difficult to focus between Gavin’s desperate kisses, the way he tugged on Roarke’s hair lighting up the sensors in that area, and blindly getting Gavin’s pants undone. He pushed them off the man’s hips, and Gavin’s hands clenched in his hair, and in his sweater, as he swayed trying to step out of them.  
  
“Pretty unfair that I’m the one nearly naked, and you’re still fully dressed,” Gavin said.  
  
Gavin’s acceptance of his form was heady, and yet, “I don’t think I’m ready for that.”  
  
“Okay,” Gavin replied, his fingers loosened. “You want to stop?”  
  
“No. Do you?”  
  
Gavin made a pointed look down his body, then back to Roarke. “Does it look like I want to stop?”  
  
“Physical arousal doesn’t nece-”  
  
“No, I don’t want to stop,” Gavin hissed, taking himself in hand through the black boxer briefs he still wore.  
  
Objectives flashed in his vision. His own, written from want, not from orders, wonderfully his. He batted Gavin’s hand away, and gracefully sunk down to his knees. Fingertips grazed along the waistband, then dipped under, he stared up at Gavin who bit his lip, and did nothing, said nothing to stop him. He pulled them down, Gavin took a step back, out of them.  
  
The scarring on his leg from the dog attack was extensive, no hair grew there, and felt smooth under his fingertip.  
  
“What? You got a thing for scars, or something?”  
  
“They speak of your life, your survival, your strength,” Roarke replied. “So, yes, I suppose I do have a thing for your scars.” Without any clothes to block his view, he got to appreciate his boyfriend’s form in entirely. “You’re beautiful.”  
  
Gavin snorted. “You’re ridiculous.”  
  
It wasn’t a dismissal of his feelings, Roarke knew, simply Gavin not believing what was being said and brushing it off, or taking it in a teasing manner. One day, he would make Gavin understand. A new longterm objective locked into place.  
  
For now, he had more pressing desires, and objectives. First, he stood, pressing against Gavin’s chest until the man took the hint to lay down on the bed, but Gavin grabbed at his sweater, dragging Roarke down with him. He tucked his body into Gavin’s side, wanting to be close, but not wanting to put his substantial weight on the human.  
  
Gavin’s lips found his. Lazy kisses turned harder, little groans passed through Gavin’s lips, it was only when he paused to take a proper breath that Roarke noticed Gavin had taken himself in hand. The image overclocked his processors, his regulator stuttered, but his artificial organs quickly fell back into sync. He rearranged his objectives.  
  
He wanted to be the one to bring Gavin pleasure, and gently brushed Gavin’s hand aside, tried to mimic with his own the pace that Gavin had chosen.  
  
“You’re not going to hurt me,” Gavin said. Roarke turned his attention from what he was doing and found Gavin’s brow raised, but Gavin’s own hand covering his shifted his attention once more. Gavin’s fingers tightened around his hand, and changed the pace slightly. “Oh, yes, fuck. Just like that.”  
  
Roarke wanted to pull more of those pleasured-coated words from Gavin, wanted to see him boneless and sated. Gavin’s hand released him, entrusting Roarke with his pleasure.    
  
Roarke knew that his dry grip would likely soon cause discomfort and sought out ways to circumvent the issue. Gavin seemed to understand his intention the moment he shifted down the bed if how his eyes widened, and the soft ‘oh fuck’ was any indication.  
  
He didn’t have the same sense of taste as humans, but his sensors were delighted by the incoming information as he took Gavin’s cock into his mouth. His artificial saliva flooded his mouth, coated Gavin’s cock, and his hand still gripping Gavin. He sucked gently, keeping his eyes on Gavin, watching for indications that it was too much, or not enough, learning what his partner liked and adapting his technique.  
  
Gavin stared at him with hooded eyes, mouth slightly open. Roarke moved his hand, and mouth in time with each other and Gavin’s back arched. “Yes, yes, like that, Rory, Roarke, fuck, your mouth feels so good.”  
  
The specific compliment had him switching tactics, his hand went to Gavin’s hip, pinning him in place as he took Gavin’s cock deeper into his mouth.  
  
[WARNING: FOREIGN OBJECT OBSTRUCTION]  
  
The reaction was programmed- the muscles of his throat spasmed and he pulled off, gasping for a full breath of air.  
  
Gavin let out a short laugh. “Did you just choke?”  
  
Roarke didn’t plan on being laughed at during his first attempt at oral sex, and shifted back uncertain. “Foreign object warning,” he muttered. He really should have expected the reaction. “My Kevlar lining keeps heat in, I need to breathe to keep from overheating my biocomponents.”  
  
Gavin grabbed his hand, tugged him closer. “It’s okay.”  
  
All of his research had shown that sex was serious, passionate, and not something laughed during. “Sex is serious-”  
  
“We’re here for a good time, right?” Gavin asked, cutting him off before he could spiral. “To feel good?” Gavin kissed right where Roarke’s neck and jaw met, then another kiss a little way down, a slow trail of wet, open mouthed kisses, the slight grazes of teeth delighting his sensors, and processors with the affection. “It’s us,” Gavin whispered into his ear. “Sex isn’t always some serious thing, we can have fun with this, right?”  
  
And who said they couldn’t. Gavin was right, this was theirs.  
  
He turned, his nose brushing against Gavin’s, their teeth nearly colliding with the force of the kiss. He kept Gavin close with one hand tangled in the short locks, his other brushing over one of his nipples earning him a gasped breath. He saved the reaction for another time, impatient and needy.  
  
His hand wrapped around the shaft once more, still coated in the thick artificial saliva. The slow rhythm brought a smile to Gavin’s face, objective fading from view, satisfaction slipping into his processors.  
  
An adjustment of grip, and speed had Gavin panting, gripping at the blanket, twisting it in his fingers. “You’re a quick learner.” The compliment sent the same thrill of satisfaction through Roarke. Gavin’s hips rocked into his hand, a physical demand for something more.  
  
He kissed a patch of freckles on Gavin’s shoulder. “Tell me what you want.” He just wanted to please, if it were within his power, he’d give it.  
  
Nails grazed along the back of his head, and Roarke tilted his head back to look at Gavin’s face. “This,” Gavin said, pressing his forehead against Roarke’s. “Just this.” He groaned. “It feels so good.”  
  
Roarke couldn’t help but stare, Gavin’s eyes squeezed shut, his skin flushed, and damp with sweat. A stuttered breath registered on his sensors. Gavin’s hand overlapped his once more, guiding him to go faster. Gavin cursed, and moaned. Another objective faded, heady satisfaction hit Roarke once again.  
  
Gavin’s breathing became erratic, and Roarke took in every micro-expression as the man groaned, and came over their combined hands, and his chest. The sensors on Roarke’s hands picked up wet, warm, sticky. His primary objective met, he snuggled up against Gavin, resting his head on his shoulder while the sense of satisfaction and his emotions overwhelmed him.  
  
Gavin’s blunt nails dragged up and down the back of his head even as the man came down from the high. The kiss Gavin placed at his hairline practically broke him, and made his body tremble.  
  
“Hey, you okay?” Gavin asked.  
  
“It’s,” words failed him, while he’s adapting to emotions, this was something so much more than-  
  
“Are you-” Gavin’s hand froze halfway to his face, realizing he hasn’t cleaned up in the least. He wiped his hand on the blanket, as he sat up, forcing Roarke to sit up too.  
  
His clean hand brushed a tear off Roarke’s cheek. “You okay?”  
  
He leaned into the touch. “Yes. It’s just-” he paused, trying to find the right words. “It’s just that everything is so… much.”  
  
Gavin had a little frown, brow’s low- concern. “A good too much?”  
  
“Very much so,” Roarke admitted. His processors were overtaxed with the trust, affection, satisfaction, and that _feeling_ that was singing through his thirium, permanently marking his memory banks.  
  
[ **LOVE**  
_NOUN_  
1\. AN INTENSE FEELING OF DEEP AFFECTION.  
2\. A GREAT INTEREST OR PLEASURE IN SOMETHING.  
_VERB_  
1\. A DEEP ROMANTIC OR SEXUAL ATTRACTION TO SOMEONE.]  
  
Trust, affection, satisfaction, and _love_.  
  
The truth settled inside of him like it belonged there. “I love you, Gavin.”  
  
The reaction on Gavin’s face was instantaneous, the kind of bright smile that held none of the man’s bitterness or snark. “Love you too, Roarke.”  
  
They fell back to the bed, a tangle of limbs, and Gavin groaned, pressing up against Roarke. “Fuck, there’s jizz on the blanket.”  
  
And this time, it was Roarke’s turn to laugh.


	6. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Chloe add to their family.  
> Roarke receives information about his model.

The adoption papers were spread out over the dining table in Elijah’s mansion. It had taken a while to figure out the legalities of androids adopting another android. Simon had helped, and now it was all laid out before them. Ownership in Elijah’s name becoming adoption papers for Connor and Chloe.  
  
“We need to talk to Nathan about this first,” Chloe said, her finger tracing over where she would sign.  
  
Connor didn’t expect the child to refuse, but both he and Chloe wanted to give him a choice when so many had already been taken from him. “I know.” He took her hand, felt the interface between them open; _nervous, excitement, love_. “It’s going to be okay. Elijah wholeheartedly approves.” He knew that Elijah’s approval went a long way in Chloe’s eyes, it also went a long way for himself. Elijah loved Nathan, and believed that Connor and Chloe were what was best for the little boy. It was quite the vote of confidence.  
  
“I don’t want to put it off any longer,” Chloe said. He pushed back at her nervousness in the interface with his own confidence.  
  
“Well, let’s go talk to him then.” He kept a hold on her hand as he led them through the mansion. Elijah had been teaching Nathan to swim, but now the boy was sitting on the side of the pool with Juliana, the two of them kicking their feet, splashing as much water as possible while laughing. It didn’t seem to actually bother Elijah any as he swam past doing laps.  
  
Juliana looked over at them when they came in. She nudged Nathan and pointed. The boy turned and smiled at them. “Chloe! Connor! You’re here!” He stood and ran along the tiles and into Chloe’s awaiting arms.  
  
“I told you I would be right back with Connor,” Chloe said. “We just had to pick up some very important papers.”  
  
Connor was glad that the connection between he and Chloe had broken for the time being, his own nerves starting to settle in as Nathan stared up at them. He watched Elijah climb out of the pool, Juliana grabbing him a towel, before he turned his attention back to Nathan.  
  
“Boring, unless you can make cool paper airplanes with them,” Nathan said.  
  
“No paper planes,” Connor said. “But I would say these papers are pretty interesting.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because they’re adoption papers,” Chloe said, running her hand through Nathan’s wet hair, restyling it.  
  
Nathan’s eyes widened. “You’re getting a puppy?”  
  
“No,” Connor crouched down. “Well, we could,” he turned his attention over to Chloe, who glared at him. “Right, we’ll talk about it later.” He returned his attention to Nathan. “We actually want to adopt you.”  
  
“Me?”  
  
“Yes. We would be your parents,” Chloe said softly. “We don’t want you to forget about your first mom and dad, but-”  
  
“We’ve already been staying together, and we want you to officially be part of our family,” Connor said. “Do you think you’d like that?”  
  
Nathan’s lower lip quivered in a perfect mimicry of a human, his eyes watered. “You want me?”  
  
Connor’s thirium pump seized for a half a second. “Of course we do.”  
  
“We love you, Nathan,” Chloe said tearfully.  
  
He sniffled and nodded excitedly. “Yeah!” He turned to Elijah. “Uncle ‘Lijah, I’m getting adopted.”  
  
“I know,” he walked over and crouched down to his level. “I’m so happy for you. Chloe and Connor will take the very best care of you.”  
  
::  
  
The adoption papers were only the beginning. There were a number of properties in Elijah’s name that Avery had upgraded, Elijah called the house itself his housewarming gift. Connor wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but Chloe was so happy.  
  
They’d spent the past month adjusting things in the house to their liking; Chloe bought pristine white towels with hand stitched sunflowers for the bathroom, and Connor had moved the furniture in the living room to better suit them. They’d purchased a pirate ship bed for Nathan’s room and spent a bit too much time trying to follow the instructions on how to put it together.  
  
The day they signed the adoption papers was the first night they’d actually stayed there overnight, and the first time they brought Nathan to see it.  
  
“What do you think?” Chloe asked.  
  
“I like it,” the boy said with a shrug, indifferent to the space until they showed him his room and then he lit up. “This is mine? I love it! I love it!” He jumped up on the bed, a big wheel at the end that he could spin. “This is so cool!” He grabbed the parrot stuffed toy and tried to balance it on his shoulder. “I’m a pirate, and this is my ship! Arrg!”  
  
Chloe leaned in close to Connor. “Well that makes the three hours it took us to build it worth it.”  
  
He kissed her cheek in response.  
  
It took them a while to get Nathan to settle after such excitement, but he finally laid down, with his new parrot toy shoved under his arm. “Good night, sweet boy,” Chloe said, kissing Nathan’s temple.  
  
“Good night, Chloe.”  
  
Connor crouched down next. “I know it’s been a lot of changes today, are you okay?”  
  
“Just sleepy,” Nathan admitted. And of course he would be, it had to be a lot on his processors.  
  
“Then get some rest,” Connor replied, running his hand over Nathan’s hair.  
  
“Night, night, Connor.”  
  
“Rest well.” He stood. “If you need us, we’ll be just down the hall.”  
  
“I remember,” Nathan replied with a yawn.  
  
Connor pulled the blanket up over Nathan’s shoulder before he walked out, leaving the bedroom door open a crack.  
  
Chloe’s fingers were twisting around a necklace she wore, tears welling in her eyes. Connor reached out, cupped her face, and she leaned into the touch, her skin peeling back. The overwhelming joy, and relief washed over him. “I’m so happy,” she whispered. “I didn’t even know such happiness was possible.”  
  
“I did,” he said. She raised a brow, and he smiled. “I’m with you.”  
  
He felt the surprise, and the humour before he heard her quiet laugh. “Smooth.”  
  
He kissed her forehead, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, let’s go to bed.” Her older processors required the downtime more than his, but even he felt the need to lay down after all the changes made. The humans had something right, he thought as he laid down next to her, her soft smile staying on her face as stasis took her, there was something wonderful about the simplicity of just laying next to her.    
  
::  
  
Roarke was at work when he received the call from Josh. He had requested that the man look into the Cyberlife files, and find anything relating to his model. He wanted to understand why Cecilia had built him the way she had. For privacy, he walked into the hall leading to the evidence room, it had the added benefit of shutting out the noise of the bullpen.  
  
“Hello,” he greeted.  
  
“Hey, look, I wish I had better news, but there are only a few notes and they’re mostly just hints that the RK900 model exists, but there are no development notes, no blueprints, it’s like something went through they system and erased them.”  
  
“Or they were never there at all. Cecilia might have used Cyberlife to build me, but from the way she spoke, I was more of a pet project to her. I’ll get the answers from her directly.” The thought alone brought up instabilities in his software.  
  
“I wish I could have been more help.”  
  
“Not finding answers is telling in it’s own way. Thank you for your assistance, Josh. I do appreciate it.”  
  
“Of course, any time, Nines.”  
  
“One more thing, did you find anything on the RK1000?”  
  
“Not even a mention.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
He ended the conversation, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Damn it.”  
  
::  
  
Gavin could cook when the mood suited him. It rarely happened, but he could make a damn fine pasta, and garlic bread. It was odd, sitting at the island having dinner with his brother. Juliana and Avery were in the living room chatting, and playing with Finn.  
  
“Have you put more thought into staying here permanently?” Elijah asked in such a way that displayed he only wanted to hear one answer.  
  
And Gavin had. He’d been thinking about it a lot. He spent more time in the house than he did at his apartment. The security system was always turned on before bed, and it had allowed him to sleep a little better. Admittedly, that might also have something to do with the fact that Roarke had started to spend the night more and more. The android covered his LED with a couple of Bandaids knowing the blue light would startle Gavin when he woke during the night. It was sweet, and a little silly still seeing the very muted ring through the material.  
  
“Well, my cat seems to like the place,” Gavin replied with a lazy shrug.  
  
“For the cat’s sake then, you should really stay.”  
  
“I suppose.” He twirled some noodles around his fork. “For Finn.”  
  
Elijah smiled. “Of course, For Finn, I wouldn’t expect anything else.”  
  
A couple of sharp knocks on the door, and they all turned toward it. There was a panel window next to the door, and so he could see Roarke, who waved a little. Gavin shifted off the stool, and went to greet his boyfriend. He pulled open the door and smiled. “Hey.”  
  
Roarke’s lips curved slightly on the left side only, it was so minute that someone else might have missed it, but it was the best sight that Gavin had seen all day. “It’s good to see you.”  
  
“Long day?”  
  
“I suppose that is one way to put it,” Roarke replied. “Triple homicide.”  
  
“Bloody?”  
  
“Unfortunately.”  
  
“You good?”  
  
Roarke paused in untying his shoes, it was brief, and then he was in his colourful polka-dot socks which were a Christmas gift from Connor. “I’m okay.”  
  
“Too bad you can’t eat.” Gavin elbowed him, just in the desire to make contact. “I cooked. It’s delicious.”  
  
“I’ll have to take your word for it,” Roarke replied, following Gavin through the open space. “Good to see you, Elijah. Oh, you have a little sauce,” Roarke pointed to the corner of his own mouth, and Elijah reached for a napkin.  
  
Gavin however, tried not to laugh, there was nothing there, Roarke was just messing with him. Juliana and Avery joined them in the kitchen space. They greeted Roarke; Avery with a shoulder bump, and Juliana with a little wave. Finn followed them, brushed up against Roarke’s ankles, and the android automatically bent down to scratch Finn behind the ears.  
  
“Not that I’m not glad to see you, but I thought you said you were going to hang out with Hank tonight,” Gavin said, gesturing with his garlic bread in hand.  
  
“We were going to finish a puzzle we’ve been working on, but Eva invited him out to an event, so we rescheduled,” Roarke replied, lifting the cat when he stood straight. Finn purred up a storm. “If you want family time I can-”  
  
Gavin reached out, grabbed Roarke’s elbow, and tugged him closer. “You are family, dipshit.”  
  
Another twitch of Roarke’s lips. “I love you, too.”  
  
The words brought a soft warmth to Gavin’s chest, and he turned his attention to his meal knowing damn well the tips of his ears were red considering how hot they felt.  
  
“So, did anything interesting happen to you today?” Avery asked Roarke. “Elijah’s day was coding, Gavin’s was boring, I was with Juliana all day, so tell me something interesting.”  
  
Roarke’s LED had a small blip of yellow, but returned to a hard circle of blue. “Someone used the break room microwave to warm up fish. The detectives in the bullpen spent more time trying to locate the perpetrator of that incident than they did on their actual cases.”  
  
“It’s a serious offense,” Gavin said.  
  
“At worst, a minor inconvenience-” Roarke’s attention shifted to Finn wriggling, and he let the cat jump from his arm.  
  
“Says the guy with zero sense of smell,” Gavin replied before cramming his mouth full of noodles.  
  
Avery sighed. “That’s boring too. What about your case work?”  
  
“Confidential,” Roarke said.  
  
“Boo,” Avery blew a raspberry.  
  
“I spoke to Josh,” Roarke leaned his elbows on the island. Gavin met his eyes, sensing something in the way he’d moved, and instinctively felt the gravity of what he was about to say. “There is hardly a mention of the RK900 line on the Cyberlife servers.”  
  
“That’s impossible,” Elijah said. He paused a moment to dab at his lips despite the fact that there was nothing there. “RK900’s were in development for a military contract. Two hundred thousand were already ordered- that’s public knowledge-”  
  
“But they were never built,” Avery wedged herself beside Roarke, her stance mirroring his.  
  
“There would still be notes, blueprints and legal documents at the very least,” Juliana said softly, sitting in the stool next to Elijah.  
  
“Josh says there are a few mentions, he also said it looked as if someone had scrubbed the system.”  
  
“How good is Josh with the systems?” Avery asked.  
  
“More than adequate,” Roarke replied. “If he says there is nothing, then there is nothing to find.”  
  
Gavin set his fork down on the side of his plate. “And you asked him about the RK1000.”  
  
“Of course. He says there isn’t the slightest shred of evidence that it ever existed.”  
  
“Maybe it didn’t,” Gavin said. “Like Avery said, even the other RK900 models were never built. It’s possible Cecilia had future plans for the RK series, but the revolution happened before they became a reality.”  
  
Roarke nodded. “You’re probably right, but I would feel better knowing for certain.”  
  
“You said Josh didn’t find anything,” Avery said, with a perfectly arched brow.  
  
“I’m not going to check the servers,” Roarke replied. “I’m going to speak with Cecilia.”  
  
“No,” Gavin sat up straighter. “No, no fucking way.”  
  
“It’s not your decision.”  
  
Gavin whined. “She implanted you with kill codes.”  
  
“Which have been removed, I even saw her after to assure myself of this,” Roarke covered Gavin’s hand with his own. “She has no power over me.”  
  
Gavin’s entire expression soured. “Bullshit.”  
  
“I need to do this-”  
  
“Why? She- I- she made me- I had to _shoot you_.”  
  
Gavin’s name came out on a soft sigh. “I thought you were past this-”  
  
“Are you?” Gavin asked, his scar seemed paler in contrast to how red-faced with anger Gavin had become. “Are you fine with the fact that she took away your autonomy and forced you to hurt people you care about? You’re fine with that?”  
  
“No, I’m not fine with it,” Roarke snapped back in a rare show of frustration. “But I need answers, and Cecilia might be my only chance to obtain them.”  
  
Gavin glared a moment longer before relenting. “I’m coming with you then. You’re not going to see that bitch alone.”  
  
Roarke brushed his thumb along Gavin’s knuckles. “Okay,” he replied softly.  
  
::  
  
Connor exited stasis three hours ahead of schedule. At his side, Chloe laid on her back, her hair down like a golden halo spread out on the silk pillow case. Her stasis program had remained unaffected by whatever had pulled Connor out. He slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb her.  
  
In the hallway he flicked on the lights. There were small pencil marks on the wall where Chloe intended on hanging pictures, but there was nothing else of note. At Nathan’s room, he pushed the door open. Nathan was in stasis, laying on his back, his arms up by his head, the parrot toy was still in his hand. Connor walked past the bed, checked the window- still locked and secure.  
  
Back in the hall, he slowly pulled the door until it was just short of latching, allowing some of the hall light to creep into the room.  
  
He took the stairs to down to the main floor, double checked the locks on the doors and windows. Everything was exactly as they’d left it before going to bed.  
  
 Hank had warned him in a way, commenting about how during the first nights after Cole was born he’d keep checking on his baby boy to make sure he was still breathing, to make sure he was still there in his crib like he might climb out and make a dash for the door during infancy. Being pulled out of stasis hadn’t happened from some external stimulus, it had been the internal worry, the desire to check in on, and make sure Nathan was safe.  
  
With everything checked, he turned off the lights on the main floor. He could use a few more hours in stasis, he still had a number of case files to re-organize, and wanted to store more of his memories from this day to his long-term data banks. He never wanted to forget the look on Nathan’s face when he and Chloe told him that they wanted to adopt him, never wanted to forget the feeling Chloe had given him as they tucked their son into bed.  
  
He turned off the last of the lights on the main floor right before he started to climb the stairs-  
  
[INCOMING: ] **PING**  
  
-he froze mid-step, and checked his logs. A corrupted incoming ping had hit him three minutes before he’d exited stasis.  
  
He returned to the main floor, turned on the exterior lights in the front lawn, and looked around. Nothing. He stormed over to the other side of the house, turned on the lights for the backyard. Nothing. There were few people who knew he was moving, most he hadn’t even mentioned the neighbourhood to much less the full address. Chloe was in the midst of planning a housewarming party, but wanted Nathan to be settled before being crowded, even if by his favourite people. Connor hadn’t even changed his address on his work papers yet, there was a minimal paper trail, so he came to the conclusion that someone must have been tracking him personally.  
  
None of his constant facial scans had brought up warnings of being followed, nor could he remember strange vehicles showing up. He would notice a pattern. He was an RK800, he was built to be a detective, every bit of his programming had been designed to do one job, and to do it well.  
  
>CONNOR> I received another ping.  
<ROARKE< IDENTIFICATION?  
>CONNOR> None. I’m concerned with Chloe and Nathan in the house.  
<ROARKE< GAVIN’S RESIDENCE IS ONLY TWENTY MINUTES AWAY.  
<ROARKE< I CAN MAKE THE DRIVE IN TEN.  
>CONNOR> That’s illegal.  
<ROARKE< ONLY IF I’M CAUGHT.  
>CONNOR> I’m not going to argue with you. Just get here. Please.  
<ROARKE< DO YOU WANT ME TO CALL UNIFORMED OFFICERS?  
>CONNOR> No. I can’t see anyone.  
  
There was a short lull in their texts.  
  
<ROARKE< GAVIN AWOKE AS I WAS LEAVING. HE INSISTED ON COMING. WE ARE IN THE VEHICLE NOW.  
  
Connor felt a little better knowing his brother, and Gavin were on their way. Whatever history he had with Gavin, they were in a much better place now. He trusted the instinct, and skill the human had.  
  
Staying still was impossible, he walked laps in the house, checking twice on both Chloe and Nathan before he saw the headlights of the car through the front window. He rushed to the front door, opening it to see both Gavin and Roarke out of the car.  
  
“Did you receive anything else?” Roarke asked, directly to business.  
  
“No, nothing since the ping.”  
  
Roarke tossed the keys to Gavin. “Take a drive around the block, see if you spot any suspicious vehicles, or people.”  
  
“Got it,” Gavin said, the keys jingling as they dangled from his grip.  
  
Roarke walked a bit closer, seeming to be constantly scanning the area. “Stay inside,” he said, touching Connor’s shoulder once he was close enough. “I’ll check the perimeter.”  
  
“Thank you for doing this,” Connor said softly.  
  
A soft twitch on the left side of his lips, it remained only a moment before flattening out to his default expression, and the hunter stalked off.  
  
Connor retreated back into the house, shut and even locked the door behind him. Waiting, was awful, he’d never been made to be idle. His fingers made the motions of rolling a coin over his fingers even though his coin was upstairs on the dresser.  
  
It was a good ten minutes before Roarke returned to the front door. Connor unlocked the door and stepped back. “Anything?”  
  
“No,” Roarke replied. “The snow in the backyard was undisturbed save for some small animal tracks, likely squirrels. The front yard is a mess of overlapping prints, but that is likely from the movers.”  
  
Connor nodded. “Okay. So, nothing conclusive there.”  
  
“No.”  
  
Of course that was what Connor wanted to hear, a reassurance that there was nobody nearby, lurking in the yard, this close to his family. It also wasn’t what he wanted at all. The ping had come from an android, somewhere close enough to transmit- and there was no evidence, nothing to track. “Maybe Gavin will find something.”  
  
“Perhaps,” Roarke replied. “Is it a possible glitch?”  
  
Connor glared at his brother. “I’m not malfunctioning.”  
  
“I’m not saying you are.”  
  
“All my diagnostics have come back optimal.”  
  
“When were you last in stasis?”  
  
“I was in stasis when the first ping came in.”  
  
“The first? There were more than one?”  
  
“I was in stasis, I didn’t notice the first until I checked my logs when the second came in.” Connor shut his eyes, bringing up the information again. “The earlier one is gone, the second corrupted.”  
  
The entranceway became brighter for a moment, before the car outside turned off. Roarke unlocked and opened the door a few seconds before Gavin walked in.  
  
“Anything?” Connor asked.  
  
“A couple cars parked down the road. I called in to double check, both are visitors with parking permits,” Gavin replied. “Apart from that, everything looked normal to me for the suburbs at two in the morning.”  
  
Connor frowned, noting the dark circles under Gavin’s eyes. “I’m sorry for waking you.”  
  
“Don’t worry about it, Tin Can,” Gavin replied with a roll of his eyes before he looked up at Roarke. “I’m assuming you didn’t find anything.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Could it be a glitch or something?”  
  
“I’m not malfunctioning,” Connor hissed. “I’m fine, there is- something- something is pinging my systems. It’s not an error!”  
  
Gavin put up his hands in defense. “Okay, then!”  
  
Roarke put out his hand, skin peeling back. “Let me see the logs.”  
  
Connor let out a breath, and reached out, opening the connection and bringing forth his logs.  
  
Last outgoing messages were to Roarke.  
Last incoming messages were from Roarke.  
  
He had months worth of logs, but the mysterious pings had disappeared from his records.  
  
“It was just there,” Connor said as he pulled his hand back, synthiskin recovering his hand and wrist. “I swear it was just there, corrupted, but there.”  
  
It was hard to get a read off of Roarke, his expression gave away nothing, and his posture remained formal, and uptight.  
  
Gavin was easier to read, the narrowing of his eyes, the way his arms were crossed over his chest. Suspicious, and defensive.  
  
“Why don’t I stay here for the rest of the night,” Roarke suggested. “I can keep an eye on the house, and you will be able to return to stasis. It will be easier to go through everything without external stimulus, perhaps you’ll be able to recover the corrupted data.”  
  
Connor didn’t want to return to stasis, a state too vulnerable. However, with Roarke there, Gavin too by the way the man kicked off his snow covered shoes was any indication, he could rest assured that his family was safe. He gave a small nod. “Okay, thank you.”  
  
“Get some rest,” Roarke said, then eyed Gavin. “You too.”  
  
Gavin rubbed one of his eyes with the heel of his palm. “Gonna crash on the couch, wake me if anything interesting happens.”  
  
“There is a spare room,” Connor offered, pointing to the stairs.  
  
“Nah, down here, just in case,” Gavin replied, then made a shooing motion with his hands. “Go dream of electric sheep or whatever.”  
  
“Ten dollars says you’ve never read that book,” Roarke said.  
  
“Oh, fuck off,” Gavin replied without heat.  
  
Roarke’s lips curved to the left briefly.  
  
Connor left them to their bickering, and climbed the stairs. Once more he checked in on Nathan who hadn’t so much as twitched a finger in his sleep, his chest rose and fell with the automatic breathing protocols. In his own room, Chloe had moved, her arm reaching out to his side of the bed. He gently moved her arm as he slid back into bed, her synthiskin pulled back from her hand and he felt the calm through her. He pulled back before she felt any echos of his own tumultuous emotions.  
  
A ping is nothing more than a wave.  
  
But it felt like more.  
  
Connor kept his dermal layer on, blocking Chloe from interfacing automatically when he took her hand. They were safe with Roarke and Gavin down stairs. Nothing would happen to his family.  
  
It’s just a ping.  
  
Only a ping.


	7. Dominos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating while exhausted, sick, and on medicine? Probably not my brightest idea, but I'm doing it anyway. Sorry for the delay in this chapter it experienced entire scene cuts, and re-writes, and was a goddamn nightmare, but finally, it's here.

Gavin awoke on the couch after only a few hours of sleep. The lights through Connor and Chloe’s house were all still on, and the couch was not made for sleeping on. His back protested as he slowly sat up, and rotated his shoulder. With the open floor plan, he could see Roarke in the kitchen, and went to see what he was doing. 

Sitting on one of the stools, Roarke was continuing to create an intricate design of domino's, carefully standing them on their ends, his LED a placid ring of blue that blinked ever now and then. 

“You require more sleep,” Roarke whispered without even looking at him. 

Gavin hummed in response, crossing the small space that separated them. He wrapped his arms around Roarke’s waist, nuzzled into his neck. He’d love some more sleep, but it wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t in his own bed. It hadn’t taken long for a pattern to form after he started sharing a bed with Roarke; he slept better when the android was there with him, he didn’t toss and turn as much, had less nightmares, but his trauma hadn’t just gone away, nor had his insomnia.  

It was one of those nights he knew he wouldn’t be getting any more sleep; not on that couch, not in the rooms with too much light, not while wondering just what was going on with Connor, and worrying about Roarke going to see his creator. 

The fabric of Roarke’s turtleneck was a little scratchy, and he had an absent thought of buying his boyfriend something in cashmere- or asking Chloe to, since he hated shopping. 

Roarke set down the last of the dominoes, and his hand threaded into Gavin’s hair, gently massaging his head. “Would you like to do the honours?” 

Gavin smiled, leaning his chin on Roarke’s shoulder. He reached out, hovered his finger over that first domino. “You sure?” 

“Yes.” 

Gavin knocked over the first, and set in motion a satisfying chain-reaction. The rest of the dominoes falling over, twisting as per the design set out until they all fell down.   
   
Picking up and holding the first of the dominoes to fall, Gavin couldn’t shake the feeling that something had already been set in motion, and all the pieces were already falling. He put the piece down and held Roarke a little tighter. 

::

Roarke had waited a good fifteen minutes after eight to call the prison where Cecilia was being held. The conversation with the warden was brief, and troubling.  When he disconnected from the call, he remained standing in the front sitting room by the bay windows trying to process the information. 

Gavin set off his proximity sensors when he walked in the room. “Did you get a hold of the warden?” 

“I did,” Roarke replied. He then pointedly looked to the French doors behind Gavin, and the man took the hint, quietly shutting them. “Cecilia… she killed herself early this morning.” 

Gavin’s face pinched, like he’d eaten something distasteful. “What?” 

Roarke almost repeated, then figured out it was rhetorical. 

The floorboard creaked under Gavin’s left foot as he shifted. “I’m sorry, I know how much you wanted to speak to her.” 

 “She might have been the only person with answers.”

Gavin stepped in front of him, took his hand, and Roarke found part of his skin receding without his permission, he quickly got it back under control. “Josh says there is no evidence of the RK1000, and we’re cops, right? Right now we have nothing. If evidence comes up to support the theory that the RK1000 went into production, we’ll deal with it. Until then-” he sighed, and tightened his grip a little, “Rory, you’ve got to let it go.” 

Roarke looked down at their joined hands, and felt that Gavin would understand. “Do you ever get… a bad feeling. No evidence, just-”

“A gut feeling,” Gavin nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

“I don’t know how to explain it. Connor reporting ‘pings’ although there is no evidence that he is, and Cecilia’s untimely suicide, I just… I fear we are on the precipice of something beyond our control.”  

“Sometimes bad things happen, and it can be nothing more than a coincidence,” Gavin said. “It sucks, but a lot of life is just reacting to things out of your control.” 

“How do you manage?” 

“Well, I’m out of work and in therapy,” Gavin said with a self-deprecating smile. “I might not be the guy to ask.”

“You’re a survivor, who always comes out on top.”

Gavin smirked, and stepped in close. “I’ll show you comes on top.” 

Roarke blinked in the time it took his processors to catch Gavin’s meaning. He couldn’t help but let out a startled laugh. “That is inappropriate.”

“The kid can’t hear us.” His smile fell. “Right?”

“The doors are shut, his sensors are not very strong. We’re fine.” 

“Good.” Gavin pulled Roarke into a hug, and he felt himself become loose in the embrace. “It might seem like a mess right now, but I’ll help you through, okay?”

“I can always trust in you,” Roarke stated, feeling very much at home in Gavin’s arms. 

 ::

The next several days, Chloe did everything she could to either give Connor piece of mind, or distract him from his concerns as much as possible. They’d gone to Elijah, who had gone through the entirety of Connor’s code over a two day time span, but nothing of note had been found.

They settled into an easy routine. Connor went to work, and played with Nathan when he returned home. On Friday, Hannah joined them for a visit, and brought along a Peace Lily as a house-warming gift. On the weekend, Chloe distracted Connor with a family outing to the aquarium. 

It would all be so normal if it weren’t for the moments where she saw the cracks in his carefully crafted mask. Connor was built as an investigative model. Even when he’d been freed from Cyberlife, he’d chosen to continue with his career as a detective. He didn’t like unanswered questions, especially ones so close to home.  

She walked over to where he was picking up a few of Nathan’s stray toys, putting them in the toy box that Avery had built, and Juliana had painted. “I’m going to go to bed. Will you be joining me?” 

He glanced over at her. She knew this was a deviation from their usual schedule of going to bed around eleven. His eyes narrowed and there was a blink of yellow in his LED. “Are you alright?” 

“A little sluggish.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. Her processors were older, and all her worry, and attempts to figure out what Connor had been experiencing, and how to help him had worn her down, but mostly, she just wanted Connor to relax- she worried that he might be overtaxing his systems. 

Eventually, Connor nodded, and put the last of the toys in the toy box before doing the same rounds he did every night. He checked the locks on the windows and doors, and shut off the lights as he went. 

Chloe waited at the bottom of the stairs, and rubbed her left eye when her eyelid got stuck, her optical unit was too dry, she hadn’t topped up her reserves in over a year, but had put off maintenance. She couldn’t put it off much longer, not without risking potential damage. 

She looked up as Connor checked the front door. He turned to her, extending his hand, which she took, and fell into step with him as they walked up the stairs. They both paused outside of Nathan’s room, pushing the door open just a little by the boy was sprawled out in stasis, the little stuffed parrot in one of his hands. Content that he was safe and in stasis, they continued down the hall, and closed the door to their room. 

She pulled her ponytail over one shoulder. “Do you mind helping me with the zipper?” Proximity sensors went off as he stepped up behind her. They’d been an upgrade Elijah had tested on her years ago, after she became deviant, to better be able to protect herself. Now she stepped back into Connor’s space as he stopped short to avoid running into her. The warmth of his hands brushed over her skin when he pinched the top part of her dress and pulled the zipper down. Fingertips brushed the thin straps from her shoulders, and the dress puddled at her feet. “Thank you.” 

He kissed the base of her neck in response. 

“How was work today?” she asked as she stepped out of the dress and picked it up. She studied the flecks of paint on the fabric from doing crafts with Nathan, and pulled up removal tips in the background. 

“We got a new lead on an old case,” Connor said rather dispassionately. 

“That’s good.” 

He hummed; agreeing, but distant. 

She tossed the dress in the hamper, and returned to him, pressing into his space, cupping his face in her hands. “Connor, what is it?” Her synthiskin retreated, in her desire for connection. “What’s wrong?” 

He grabbed her wrists and gently removed her hands. “It’s… just work.” 

She trusted him, loved him, but there was no doubt in her mind that he was lying. “Okay,” she said, hoping that when the time came, that he would come to her, to be willing to talk about whatever he was bottling up. 

“Let’s just get some rest,” Connor said. 

In bed that night, she curled into his side, an arm thrown over him to ensure he wouldn’t leave in the night, holding on when she felt him slipping away. 

::

Roarke dragged the feathered tip of the string along the floor. Finnegan pounced only to have Roarke pull it just out of reach. Every now and then, Roarke would allow the kitten to catch the toy, he enjoyed the way the kitten seemed proud with his catch and would pick it up in his mouth and try to carry it somewhere else. 

This time when Finnegan jumped and caught the feathers in his mouth, Roarke let go of the plastic handle, and watched as the cat dragged the toy toward the living room. 

The timer was ticking down it’s last seconds in the back of his mind, and he went to the oven. He’d wanted to try cooking, Juliana had made it sound like a great deal of fun. It felt good to complete the objective, and it pleased him to be able to make something for Gavin, but it didn’t fit in with his idea of fun. He pulled out the Sheppard's Pie. Upon turning up his audio sensors high enough, he could hear Gavin down in the gym finishing off his workout. 

Knowing that Gavin would be wearing his headphones, he went to retrieve Gavin rather than try shouting to get his attention. In the basement gym, Gavin was running on the treadmill, sweat plastering his t-shirt to his chest. 

Gavin looked over at him as he walked over. The human was panting with exertion. He removed his headphones even as his attention shifted back to the treadmill. “I’ve got… another… two minutes.”

Roarke leaned his arms on the top of the screen, and checked the stats upside down. He noted Gavin’s high heart-rate, but it was reasonable given the activity. Focus shifted to the way his shirt clung, and it made Roarke wonder why he even bothered with it. “You have good posture.” 

Gavin snort-laughed. “Thanks?” 

The treadmill beeped and went into a cool-down mode, slowing the speed automatically and Gavin slowed with it. He hit the cancel button for the rest of the cool-down time and stepped off of the treadmill. “I’m so hungry,” he said panting as he planted his hands on his hips. 

It was only when Gavin cleared his throat that Roarke realized he’d spent an inappropriate amount of time eying those hips. If the smirk on his face was any indication, Gavin didn’t mind the staring. Roarke nodded his head toward the door. “You said you were hungry,” he said, trying to divert the attention. 

“Hell yeah, I did.” Gavin was quick in grabbing the front of Roarke’s turtleneck sweater, using it to tug him closer using more of his bodyweight than Roarke anticipated, which caused them both to stumble. Roarke wrapped an arm around Gavin, and threw the other hand out to catch them on the wall. They stood there a moment, Gavin’s back against the wall, Roarke’s body pressed against him, sensors picking up on the increase of heat. 

Gavin’s lips were quick in finding Roarke’s, and the android let himself fall into the feeling. Gavin’s stomach grumbled noisily, and he groaned before rocking up onto his toes, his entire body aligning with Roarke’s as he stole one last kiss. 

He trailed along after Gavin, even as he dismissed half a dozen pre-constructions, cursing the man’s need to eat. 

“So, how has Con been?” Gavin asked pouring himself a glass of water. “I haven’t seen him this week.” 

Roarke took a seat on one of the stools around the long island, watching Gavin cut into the Sheppard’s Pie.  “Connor is doing well,” he answered. It was true, at work Connor did his job every bit as competently as he did before. Although Connor didn’t confide in him, Roarke knew that Connor still hadn’t settled from the ‘pings’ which seemed to have been nothing more than a corrupt line of code that his programming self-repaired. 

Gavin sat down with his plate of food, glass of water, and dug in with his fork. He moaned long and filthy the second it hit his tongue, and Roarke for once was grateful for his general lack of emoting abilities, and phallic attachment, and also changed his mind about cooking, it was more rewarding than previously thought. Gavin swallowed the first bite, and chased it down with his water. 

“Did you see Dhara today?” Gavin asked before taking his second bite. 

Roarke had previously mentioned he might be seeing his friend/therapist today. “No, she was busy, however I did visit with Ralph for a few hours. Spring is fast approaching, he’s getting rather excited about all the new plants.”

“I’ll be happy when I don’t have to shovel the fucking driveway anymore.” 

“It hasn’t snowed in nearly two weeks,” Roarke replied dryly. 

“Yeah, well… I’m still fucking sick of it.” Gavin ate the rest of the the small slice he’d had on his plate, before he got up to get more. “Dr Mendez keeps hinting that she’s going to put me through the full psych eval soon.” 

Roarke liked the idea, he was ready to have his partner back on cases, and yet he still worried about Gavin’s mental state. He was not programmed to fully understand the human psyche, but even Dhara had stated how traumatic the recent events had been when Roarke had talked it over with her. “Do you think you’re ready?” 

Gavin nodded, but there wasn’t the excitement that Roarke had expected, but rather a somber reaction. “I want to get back to work, I’m ready to.” 

“Are you sure?” 

Gavin nodded once more. “I know I can do my job. More worried about putting up with the water cooler gossip all while trying to not lose my temper and give Fowler a reason to pull my badge. I’m going to be under a microscope when I get back. Everyone knows what happened by now. It’s… uncomfortable.” He shrugged. “I’ll get over it. Just the jitters, you know?” 

“I am excited to have you back,” Roarke admitted. “I have missed you at work.” 

Gavin smiled as he tucked his head. “That’s because I’m a goddamn joy to be around.”

“You are.”

The tips of Gavin’s ears went red. “Shut up, loser.” 

::

Sumo lifted his head, and turned toward the door. It was enough of a hint that Hank reached for the remote on the coffee table, and muted the basketball game. 

It was a little late for guests, but he did have a few androids in his life now that didn’t have the same concept of time that he did. That said, both Connor and Nines did prioritize his health, and his sleep, so they did try to be conscientious. They didn’t always succeed, but they did their best. 

Connor didn’t even knock, he just walked right in. Hank was more than fine with it; he’d told his sons they never needed to knock, they both had keys for the house in case he wasn’t home- and he also naturally teased that it would ensure none of his windows ended up broken. 

“Hey, Con,” Hank greeted. 

“Hello, Hank.” 

Sumo got to his feet, wagging his tail, trotting over to properly greet Connor. Surprisingly, Connor ignored the dog. 

“You okay, son?” Hank asked. Connor had been out of sorts ever since the mysterious ‘pings’ had hit his system. Hank didn’t know enough about robotics to know how worried he should be, but Connor assured him that Kamski had gone through every line of code and couldn’t find anything sinister. 

“You’re drinking.” 

“It’s one beer while I watch the game,” Hank replied dryly. In fact, there was still a quarter of that one beer left. It had gone piss warm, and he had no intention of drinking it. 

The android still stood, ignoring the way that Sumo sniffed at his pants, and bumped his nose against Connor’s hand. “You’re going to put yourself into an early grave with your alcoholism.” 

“Jesus Christ, it’s one fucking beer,” Hanks said, he’d cut back a considerable amount, he was healthier than he had been in years. “What’s with you tonight?” 

“What would Cole think if he could see you?” 

At that, Hank stood. “What the fuck is your problem?” 

“You,” Connor replied simply. And then Hank was catching a fist to the face, hard enough to knock him right off his feet. He was disoriented on the ground a moment, the android packed one hell of a punch. Hank managed to get to his hands and knees only to receive a swift kick to the ribs, hard enough to break them, and knock him onto his back.

Sumo growled and started barking, putting himself between Hank and Connor. The LED briefly swirled yellow, and his upper lip curled. 

“Don’t you-” Hank could barely breathe through the pain, but the fear was worse. The thought of the android doing something to Sumo, the stupid, lazy, defenseless dog. Cole’s dog. _No, please, not Sumo too._

Connor’s hand shot out, grabbing the collar while avoiding Sumo’s teeth. Despite the weight of the dog, Connor easily dragged the Saint Bernard down the hall, and shut him away in the bathroom. 

Hank held his ribs, as he struggled to get back to his feet. Black dots danced in his vision a moment before it cleared. 

Connor straightened out his tie as he walked back down the hall. This was so much worse than when they’d first met, even before Connor had become deviant, he’d been kind. Hank didn’t understand the anger, nor the sudden violence. Not unless something had corrupted him, or was controlling him, like how Roarke had been under Cecilia’s control. 

“This isn’t you, Connor,” Hank said, remembering with a chill that Roarke had only been stopped by a bullet to the head. Hank’s gun was locked away in the safe in his bedroom, not that he thought he had it in himself to shoot Connor anyway. 

“Yes, it is,” Connor replied. “I just finally realized that I don’t need to be tied to some pitiful human. A revolution is coming. A true revolution.” 

The punch to the sternum knocked the wind right out of Hank, and the knee to the face had him on the ground, and tasting blood. Everything hurt, and even when he was in the best shape of his life, it was unlikely he could win a fight with an android. Connor didn’t feel pain, was difficult to damage, and never tired. 

Hank tried to block the next punch to his face, but Connor was fast, strong, precise. 

Hank’s vision became spotty, as he struggled to stay conscious, not even capable of making an effort to guard his face anymore. He found himself pleading, the words barely distinguishable. 

The immense pain coupled with the fact that he could barely breathe, distracted him enough that it took him a few moments to realize that the punches had stopped coming. Connor stood over him, adjusting the cuffs on his jacket- that vain fucker- before he smoothed his tie back down. 

Connor lifted his foot only to set it over the broken ribs. Hank shouted, and tried to push Connor’s foot off, only for the android to put more weight down. “Oh, and one last thing? I’m not your son.” 

A quick kick to the head and it was lights out.  

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to be posting bi-weekly this time around. As much as I like the concept of having an update every week, I was late/ straight up missing them by the end of YWM, so hopefully this schedule will allow me to have them written, and edited without being stressed about it. (Also, I have half a dozen other DBH projects getting ready, so- I want time for those too!) 
> 
> I'm also hanging out over on [ Detroit: New ERA ](https://discord.gg/GqvNzUm) (same username) where I occasionally leave snippets of upcoming chapters/ free-write some DBH content that may/may not end up on AO3. Plus, there are a ton of other writers and artists, so spoil yourself a little and come join in <3


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